Holocaust Memorial Day Event, 26 January 2026

We were honoured to be invited to the Holocaust Memorial Day event at the Banqueting Hall at Newcastle Civic Centre on Monday 26 January 2026. Well attended by faith groups and children from schools across Newcastle, it was hosted by Smajo Beso OBE, a survivor of the Bosnian genocide (read more about him here: ‘Bosnian Geordie’ who survived genocide warns: “It can happen anywhere”).

We began with a very moving musical performance from the massed choirs of Newcastle Schools, including Dame Allan’s Junior School, Gosforth East Middle School, St. John’s Primary School and Newcastle School for Boys, co-ordinated by Newcastle Music Service. There could hardly be a better way to emphasise the fact that HMD in the 21^st century is now as much, if not more, about educating the young as it is of remembering and honouring the sacrifices and suffering of the survivors.

Candle lightings by representatives of the survivors of the Holocaust, Darfur, Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnian genocides followed, with prayers and thoughts shared by the (strikingly confident and articulate) young people of Newcastle. Perhaps one of the most moving parts of the event was the introduction to it by Dr. Martin Stern MBE, a Holocaust survivor, whose account of how Nazi Germany exploited him as a child to identify other Jewish people in his neighbourhood so that they could be rounded up and killed was a harrowing but very necessary listen.

As the event closed with another performance by the school choirs, I thought back to earlier in the day, when I had been listening to a podcast about Germany putting more funding into its armed forces: Today in Focus – Why Germany is racing to rebuild its army. Let me be clear. I do not mention this to demonise modern-day Germany, any more than I would demonise a friend because their grandfather was a monster. I also found myself thinking of one of Newcastle upon Tyne Unitarians’ greatest spiritual leaders, Rev. Herbert Barnes, our minister from 1919-1951 and a vigorous opponent of anti-semitism during the 1930s who is mentioned in the Jewish Golden Book (more about him here: “Rev. Herbert Barnes: long-serving Unitarian church minister”). His sharp analysis of the perniciousness of anti-Semitic propaganda, and forthright demand for us to reject racism in all its forms is published in full at the end of this post.

I mention this because the presenter’s point was that the world order that has persisted since the end of WWII is going away fast, and our nation, along with others including fellow European nations, will mostly likely need to think about how best to work together to defend ourselves and our values. How we do this whilst also protecting the vulnerable amongst us and seeing the neighbour in the stranger is going to be a mighty challenge for all among us, whatever our faiths and spirituality. The temptation to descend into chauvinism, racism, and nationalism is ever-present. Only through the commitment and unity shown during this event can we hope to maintain a world in which hope and peace prevail. To quote Rev. Barnes: “I have the hope that some day humanity will gain sufficient freedom from our prejudices as to live a free and happy life, in joyous co-operation with our fellows everywhere”.