A Word from the Chair: Remembering the Holocaust

To commemorate the 80th anniversary, I attended a service at The Ark Synagogue, followed by a flag raising held at the district council’s head office, Three Rivers House, in Rickmansworth to remember victims of the Holocaust. The Leader of Three Rivers District Council, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, and I attended the flag raising and were joined by Cllr Chris Mitchell, Cllr Oliver Cooper, and representatives from the Ark Synagogue, Hertfordshire Constabulary, and GATE Herts.

The synagogue provides invaluable support to its community and, alongside religious services, hosts a range of activities and events. These includes Hebrew classes, yoga, poetry, shared reading, bereavement groups, and more. I am grateful to have visited The Ark Synagogue, a warm and welcoming space for all.

Holocaust Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder of the systematic extermination of six million Jewish people by the Nazi regime. We must never forget this horrific chapter in human history, nor the countless other victims of genocide throughout the ages.

Roma and Sinti people were also systematically persecuted by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. It is estimated that over 500,000 Roma and Sinti people were murdered during the Holocaust. People with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community also formed part of those targeted by the Nazi regime.

80 years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, antisemitism (anti-Jewish hatred) has increased significantly in the UK and globally. Across Hertfordshire, crimes relating to Jewish identity increased by 28.3% in 2023/24, in comparison to 2022/23

Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, and Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein of The Ark Synagogue shared this message: “Learning about the Holocaust and subsequent genocides is a key act of remembrance in our society for those murdered and maimed and for the Survivors and their subsequent generations. It is also a moment when we are all reminded of the best ways that human beings can behave to create a thriving society for all.”

Across England and Wales, 3,282 (31%) of reported religious hate crimes were targeted at Jewish people in the year ending March 2024. There were 1,739 more cases in comparison to the previous year. Many UK communities have been left feeling vulnerable, with hostility and suspicion of others rising. Last year, in Hertfordshire, there was a 141.7% increase in racially or religiously aggravated harassment or stalking without violence offences. Discriminatory and hostile attitudes continue to exist against Gypsy, Roma, LGBTQ+ and disabled communities too.

We at Three Rivers District Council hope that Holocaust Memorial Day can be an opportunity for people to come together, learn both from and about the past, and take actions to make a better future for all.

Tragically, the world continues to witness suffering yet recognising the dangers of hatred and intolerance in all forms is crucial in our aim for a better world.

Additionally, please spare a moment to become aware of the persecution currently occurring across the world.

Cllr Raj Khiroya

Chair, Three Rivers District Council

For more about The Ark Synagogue, visit https://www.arksynagogue.org/.

For more information and resources on the atrocities experienced by this group feel free to explore the following link http://hmd.org.uk/genocides/porrajmos.

Report all hate crimes to the police and the relevant bodies (In an emergency, always call 999 or 101 in a non-emergency). Alternatively, if you would like to report a Hate Crime online please visit https://www.report-it.org.uk/ to access resources that will support with this process.

To find out more about hate crime, visit: https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/services/crime-and-safety/hate-crime

Report a hate crime: Herts Against Hate for local reporting resources/support.

CST for reporting antisemitism.

Tell Mama for reporting anti-Muslim or Islamophobic attacks.

For more on hate crime statistics across Hertfordshire, visit: https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/jsna/jsna-documents/hate-crime-jsna.pdf

IMAGE 1 CAPTION, From the left: Laurence Blake (Chair of The Ark Synagogue), Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, Councillor Raj Khiroya, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Jay Williams  (Community Liaison Officer from Three Rivers District Council)

IMAGE CAPTION 2, front from the left: Mimi Konigsberg, Shirley Smith, Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Councillor Raj Khiroya. Back, from the right: Josie O'Driscoll, Councillor Oliver Cooper, Councillor Chris Mitchell.