Southampton will observe the UK’s national Holocaust Memorial Day with a commemorative event organised by the University of Southampton’s Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations on behalf of the city.
The event is scheduled for Monday 27 January 2025 from 18:00 to 20:00, at the Sir James Matthews Building (City centre). Doors will open at 17:30, with refreshments available before the programme begins. Attendees can also explore the Parkes Institute’s latest exhibition and visit stalls featuring local community groups and anti-racism and refugee charities.
This year’s event coincides with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest extermination camp during the Holocaust. The University of Southampton is honoured to welcome Janine Webber, a survivor of the Lvov Ghetto, who will share her testimony in conversation with Anoushka Alexander-Rose.
Additionally, Mazzy Westwood, a former student of the University’s Department of History, will present a reading from Vesna Maric’s “Bluebird,” a poignant memoir detailing the author’s experiences as a refugee from the Bosnian War (1992–1995).
Students from a local sixth form college will also share reflections on their participation in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme, discussing their experiences visiting the site and the insights gained.
For more information and to register, please visit Eventbrite.