Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is once again proud to be supporting Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 (Wednesday, January 27) and its theme ‘Be The Light In The Darkness.’
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the public and Council staff are this year being asked to spend some time on the day, in the safety of their own homes and workplaces, reflecting on the atrocities of the worst time in world history in which millions of people were brutally killed at the hands of Nazi Germany, and the subsequent genocides.
Be The Light In The Darkness is a global affirmation and a call to action for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021, urging all of us to consider different kinds of ‘darkness,’ such as identity-based persecution, misinformation, denial of justice. Also, to consider the many different ways of ‘being the light,’ such as resistance, acts of solidarity, rescue and illuminating mistruths.
If safe to do so, the public is being asked to light a candle on Holocaust Memorial Day 2021, Wednesday, January 27, highlighting the theme of this year’s worldwide event.
Councillor Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Council Business, with responsibility for Equality and Diversity, said:
“The utterly unprecedented times through which we are currently living are showing us all the very best of which humanity is capable, but also, in some of the abuse and conspiracy theories being spread on social media, the much darker side of our world.
“It is important that the world comes together and marks Holocaust Memorial Day. Here in RCT, we will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us.
“These dark moments in history must never be repeated and it is important that we mark poignant events such as the Holocaust.
“For many of us, Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 will be different to other years. There will be no memorial service in Rhondda Cynon Taf this year, but our commitment remains unwavering.
“We owe it to future generations to never allow such atrocities to happen again. We must learn from the past in order to create a safer, better future for ourselves and for those who follow us.”
Between 1941 and 1945, the Nazis attempted to annihilate all of Europe’s Jews. This systematic and planned attempt to murder European people is known as the Holocaust period.
By the end of the Holocaust, six million Jewish men, women and children had perished in ghettos, mass-shootings, in concentration camps and extermination camps.
More than 1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau alone - with more than 90 per cent of the victims being Jewish.
Posted on 27/01/2021