Special ceremony at Dugdale Arts Centre included speeches from local rabbis, the council leader and a presentation from school pupils

Enfield Council commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day yesterday (Monday 27th) with a special ceremony that acknowledged two sombre anniversaries.
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day 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, where local religious and civic dignitaries were welcomed with a speech from Enfield Council leader Ergin Erbil.
Pupils from Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate began the ceremony with a presentation called ‘For a Better Future’, reflecting the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year.
The event saw speeches from Rabbi Emanuel Levy from 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 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 at the Museum of Enfield within the Dugdale.
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. These will be displayed until 1st March.
The poem To A Child Refugee in a Foreign Land written by Olive will also be displayed in the borough for the first time.
Entry to the museum and all exhibition areas is free of charge.
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