Residents are invited to Stand Together for Holocaust Memorial Day 2020

Newham Council is inviting residents and schools to commemorate this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, with a free event featuring Holocaust survivor, John Hajdu and Bosniak writer and lecturer, Arnesa Bulijusmic-Kustura at the Old Town Hall in Stratford on 27 January.

The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day this year is Stand Together and it focuses on how people can come together and speak out against oppression. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, by the Allied Forces in January 1945. 

The event will host a talk by guest of honour, 82-year-old John Hajdu. Born in Budapest Hungary, John Hadju survived the Nazi persecution of Hungarian Jews during the Second World War, followed by the Soviet oppression after liberation. When he and his mother had to flee Hungary to start a life of freedom in the UK, there were relatives, neighbours and charitable organisations who stood together and supported him. 
 
In his work with the Holocaust Educational Trust, John regularly talks to schoolchildren about the persecution he suffered under Nazi and Soviet regimes in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He was awarded an MBE last year for this work. 
 
2020 is also the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia and another guest talking at the event is Arnesa Bulijusmic-Kustura, a Bosniak writer, analyst, lecturer and researcher on genocide studies, especially the Bosnian Genocide. 
 
Arnesa’s work mostly comes from her personal experience as a genocide survivor and a child that grew up in the war. Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, much of her work is based on her experiences. Her writing is related to the Bosnian genocide, refugees, and war, and the long-term effects of these experiences, as well as how to best prevent tragedies in the future. Arnesa’s published work has been featured in The Independent, BBC, Huffington Post, ABC and Balkan news stations. 
 
Other highlights of the event include a candle lighting ceremony. There will also be music provided by Newham Music’s Bridging Sounds Orchestra and choirs from Britannia Village School and Star Primary School. An exhibition of artwork by local children, curated by Rosetta Arts Centre will be on display and an array of Holocaust era books from the Newham Bookshop and the borough’s libraries. 
 
Newham Council will also be presenting a free screening of the Oscar-nominated film, The Book Thief at 6.30pm at Stratford Picture House in Salway Road, Stratford. The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive German family during the Nazi era while subjected to the horrors of World War II Germany. To book a place visit Eventbrite.
 
The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz said: “This year’s theme is ‘Stand Together’, and the year also marks the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. Lessons from both horrors are still relevant to this day. We still bear witness to atrocities occurring across the world. We still see the rise of anti-Semitism. And we still see hate in new forms impacting more and more lives in different ways. That’s why we are inviting residents to join us on Holocaust Memorial Day so that all of us stand together and take action to stop the spread of hatred in our communities; and draw on the lessons we learn from history and today.”
 
For further information please visit www.newham.gov.uk/hmd 

Published: 24 Jan 2020