Residents of Merton encouraged to pay their respects

The Mayor of Merton will plant a rose as a symbol of remembrance during a Holocaust Memorial Day Service on Sunday 25 January 2004. Merton residents are also invited to express their compassion and remember the victims of the Holocaust and genocides of the post war period.

The location will be The John Innes Park, Mostyn Road, Wimbledon, SW19, where the Mayor will be planting the rose bush offered by The Rabbi of the Wimbledon District Synagogue.

The Mayor, Councillor Maxi Martin has said:

“I hope that many residents of Merton will join me in remembering the victims of the Holocaust, at the John Innes Park on Sunday 25 January.

“There is still so much hostility and conflict in the world today, and Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to show our enduring humility towards fellow human beings. We must ensure that such unbearable crimes and acts of persecution are neither repeated nor forgotten. We must show that we want genocide to end, and the more people that are involved on a local level, the stronger the statement.”

The Holocaust ended 59 years ago on this day, with the liberation of Auchwitz. Intended as a moment for reflection on the Holocaust and on genocide in the years since, the Day has a different theme each year.

The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘From the Holocaust to Rwanda: lessons learned, lessons still to learn’. 2004 will mark the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, which resulted in the deaths of almost a million people.

The National Event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day takes place in a different UK city each year; this year it will be in Belfast. However, in communities up and down the country, local councils, schools, churches and community groups will also be marking that day.

The event in Wimbledon is open to all, and everyone who would like to remember will be most welcome.

Ends