Date published: 2025-12-04 | Category: Bath, Communities and volunteering, Equalities, Focusing on prevention
The importance of ensuring the next generation do not forget stories of genocide will be at the heart of a special commemorative event in Bath marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2026.
The free public event, organised by Bath & North East Somerset Council in partnership with Bath Interfaith Group, takes place at 5.45pm on Tuesday 27 January 2026 at The Guildhall in Bath and will express this year’s national Holocaust Memorial Day theme, ’Bridging Generations'.
The event will reflect the vital role of sharing memory, testimony and learning to help shape a more compassionate future.
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust, as well as millions of others persecuted under Nazi rule, and the victims of more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year also marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The Bath ceremony will feature a varied and thoughtful programme of music, poetry and reflections, supported by contributions spanning different generations and lived experiences.
Highlights of the programme include:
- Pupils from St Gregory’s School and Hayesfield School sharing their thoughts after taking part in the Learning from Auschwitz programme, after being introduced by local Jewish faith leader Iris Segall
- Reflections from Christina Hilsenrath, chair of the Friends of the Bath Jewish Burial Ground, who will introduce Sasha Porter, a refugee from the former Yugoslavia who will present her project ’Ceramic Flowers for Remembrance and Hope’, inspired by the Srebrenica flower, a symbol of remembrance for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Attendees will receive hand-crafted ceramic flowers created through the project.
The ceremony will open with an address by Councillor Liz Hardman, Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council. Councillor Hardman said: “‘Bridging Generations’ reminds us that remembrance is not passive. By listening to those who experienced the horrors of genocide and those who are carrying these memories forward, we strengthen our responsibility to stand together against hatred and prejudice.”
Attendance is free, but places are limited, and booking is essential.
Tickets are available via Eventbrite. For alternative booking methods or enquiries, please contact Equality@bathnes.gov.uk or call Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41.
Holocaust Memorial Day is coordinated nationally by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
ENDS