“Bridging the generations” was the theme for the event at the City Varieties Music Hall this afternoon (Sunday), while there was also emphasis on the importance of the lessons “in a world that is becoming increasingly polarised by division and hate”.
Hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, the event featured a multimedia performance telling the story of a Holocaust survivor and music from the United Hebrew Congregation choir with Rabbi Alby Chait MBE.
Cllr Cohen, said: “As we move further away from the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, collective memory can very easily fade so events like Holocaust Memorial Day are so important as we come together to commemorate those that were tragically murdered.
“It’s also important to learn and remember together and to educate ourselves from those remaining survivors and from those testimonies so that we ourselves can bare witness to the Holocaust and remember what happens in societies when we persecute minorities.”
He added: “Leeds is a city that is so proud of the communities that make up our amazing city and it’s a testament to Leeds that we’ve always led the way in Holocaust Memorial Day in making sure it’s a key date in the civic diary.”
Check out our gallery of pictures from the event below.
13. 'The virtues of peace and tolerance'
“As we listen to the experiences of survivors of genocide and understand the horrors perpetrated by one human on another, we learn why the virtues of peace and tolerance are so important and why we need to bridge the generations to carry those lessons forward. | Tony Johnson
14. 'Celebrate our differences'
“Through acts of remembrance and by educating ourselves on the consequences of hate, we learn to challenge intolerance in all its forms and to accept and celebrate our differences.” | Tony Johnson