Enfield commemorates Holocaust Memorial Day

Children on stage singing

Enfield Council commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday 27 January with a special ceremony and acknowledged two sombre anniversaries.

This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day also marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.

Enfield’s event was held at Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC), where local religious and civic dignitaries were welcomed with a speech from Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Ergin Erbil.

Pupils from Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate began the ceremony with a presentation called: ‘For a Better Future’ which was the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025.

The event saw speeches from Rabbi Emanuel Levy from the Palmers Green and Southgate Synagogue, Rabbi Rich from Southgate Progressive Synagogue, Rabbi Shindler from Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue and Marija Hamza from the Roma Support Group charity.

Cllr Ergin Erbil said: “It was an honour to welcome guests to such an important gathering and to come together to remember one of history's darkest chapters, to honour the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, and to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.

“This year’s theme, ‘For a Better Future’, reminds us of the power of hope, resilience, and collective responsibility. It calls on us to learn from the past, challenge hatred in all its forms, and build a world founded on respect, tolerance, and human dignity.”

Cllr Erbil added: “Let us leave this special event inspired to act with compassion, courage, and resolve, ensuring that the voices of the past guide our journey toward a future defined by understanding, justice, and peace.”

Residents are invited to a Holocaust Memorial Day exhibition which is currently on display in the Museum of Enfield in DAC.

The display features 15 new acquisitions on loan from Jewish Museum London, exploring the relationship between Grete Rudkin (nee Gauber) and her adoptive mother Olive Rudkin. Grete was sent to Enfield on the Kindertransport in 1939.

The poem ‘To A Child Refugee in a Foreign Land’ written by Olive will also be displayed in the borough for the first time.

The artefacts have been loaned to the Council courtesy of Jewish Museum London and will be on display until Saturday 1 March.

Entry to Enfield Museum and all exhibition areas at DAC are free of charge. The museum objects are also available to view on the Jewish Museum London's website.

For further information visit the Holocaust Memorial Day website.

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