Mayor Fiaz marks Holocaust Memorial Day, urging Newham to confront rising antisemitism, remember survivors’ stories, and stand united against all forms of hate.
Speaking from the Stratford Town Hall today, the Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, delivered a poignant address to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2026.
Under the national theme of "Bridging Generations," Mayor Fiaz called on the community to transform remembrance into active resistance against modern-day prejudice.
Standing in the civic heart of the borough, Mayor Fiaz drew a direct link between Newham’s history of social justice and the global duty to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
Reflecting on the local surroundings, Mayor Fiaz pointed to the Gurney Statue situated opposite the Town Hall. “Gurney’s legacy reminds us that one person’s conscience can challenge a system of cruelty,” she stated, referencing Samuel Gurney’s work in the abolition of slavery. “We are reminded that our responsibility as a community is to be ‘upstanders,’ not bystanders. Like Gurney, we must have the courage to confront injustice wherever we see it.”
Addressing the 2026 theme, the Mayor highlighted to an audience of young people from Newham’s schools and guests the critical crossroads faced as the generation of survivors grows smaller.
She urged residents to ensure the "sharp reality" of the Holocaust remains a "living lesson" in schools, workplaces, and playgrounds. “It is our duty to take the baton from the survivors and pass it to our children... so that it never again happens,” she told the assembled crowd of faith leaders, residents, and students.
Mayor Fiaz issued a stark warning regarding the recent resurgence of antisemitism, describing it as a "stain on our society" that often masks itself behind political discourse.
“We have seen it in the rise of online hate and most painfully, in the intimidation of our Jewish neighbours on our own streets,” the Mayor said. “When any part of our community is made to feel afraid to wear a kippah or speak their truth, the freedom of all Newham residents is diminished. We will not turn a blind eye.”
While centring on the Holocaust, the Mayor’s speech also paid tribute to victims of subsequent atrocities, specifically naming those lost in Cambodia, Rwanda,
and Darfur, as well as the 8,000 Muslim men and boys murdered in Srebrenica. She noted that each of these atrocities began with "words, ‘othering,’ and the silence of the majority."
The Mayor concluded with a powerful affirmation of Newham’s diverse identity:
“When we stand together—Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, and those of no faith—we send a message that is louder than any voice of hate. We choose empathy over apathy. We choose the truth of history over the lies of prejudice."
Vanessa Holburn, Author of Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family, spoke at the event alongside Stratford East Theatre and the ‘Here There Are Blueberries’ Creative Team, who shared reflections.
Speakers were joined by students from Stratford School Academy, Essex Primary School, St Bonaventure’s School and St Helen’s Catholic Primary school, who presented reading’s, poetry and song alongside young people from the Newham Music Bridging Sounds Orchestra.
The event ended with a candle lighting ceremony and a minute of quiet reflection.
The Mayor’s concluding remarks are in full below:
As we conclude our observance of Holocaust Memorial Day 2026;
And as the survivors’ generation grows smaller;
We will continue to work with our schools, youth zones and valued partners from all across our borough to ensure that the testimonies of those who witnessed the Holocaust and subsequent genocides continue to be heard by the borough’s youth and in our communities.
Before we conclude, let these final words from me today be our shared commitment to one another.
We pledge that the stories of the Holocaust will not end with the survivors, but live on through us.
We pledge to recognize that hate begins with words, and we will not stay silent.
We pledge to stand with our Jewish neighbours against the rising tide of antisemitism.
And to stand with all in our borough who face Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and racism as we bear witness to the rise of a pernicious, divisive and cruel hate.
We pledge to remember those lost in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, and to fight the prejudice that fuelled their suffering.
Here in Newham, we choose unity over division. We choose hope over fear.
We are one borough, one community, with one shared future.
We Are Newham.
