Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen Art Gallery
27 January marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. It is now Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), the international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups, and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together on Holocaust Memorial Day to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future.
This year the Holocaust Memorial Day programme at Aberdeen Art Gallery includes:
All day
'The Road Less Travelled' photography exhibition by Jennie Milne
Images © Jennie Milne:
Alicia Melamed Adams and Adam Adams - Holocaust Survivors
from 'The Road Less Travelled' photography exhibition
11.30-11.55am
Piano Recital
Finn Hewick student from Aberdeen Music School
12noon
Opening of the HMD Commemoration - One Day
Speeches, including the Lord Provost of Aberdeen
12.10pm
'The Road Less Travelled' by Jennie Milne
Jennie introduces her exhibition and her journey with reflection on current issues and anti-Semitism.
A photographic exhibition ‘The road less travelled' will remain open to the public up to 1st of February.
12.15pm
One Day when life changed
Luke Butler and Deejay Bullock
Short story about key moments in Pierre Seel's life that changed his perspective, changed his life. Such as how he was arrested for being gay after reporting his watch stolen, how he looked over the hills at the statue of Mary and found hope and love from within.
12.20pm
One day in History
Luke Butler and Deejay Bullock
Short story about how Sharley McLean was rescued in the last Kindertransport and taken to London at the age of 16 and subsequently became an LGBT+ Activist, supporter and educator during the early days of the HIV epidemic.
12.25pm
1st Extract from Edith Eger’s book 'The Choice'
By Patricia Findlay
12.30pm (Repeated at 1-1.06 pm)
Journey Into Night
Tutu’s Senior Dance Group
Moira Wilson, Millie Black, Ellie Chambers, Tamsin Kerr, Marilyn Bob- Manuel and Tianna Finlay
The dance begins with a group dancing at a party which is interrupted by an air raid siren signifying the Nazis arrival and the group are taken away to a camp.
A quote from Elie Wiesel’s 'Night' and the concentration camp dance sequence begins with a duet with the other dancers joining in. It finishes with the dancers in pairs walking towards an orange light signifying the gas chamber. Once everyone leaves the dance finishes with a quote from Anne Frank’s Diary about still believing in mankind.
12.40pm
2nd Extract from Edith Eger’s book 'The Choice'
By Patricia Findlay
1.10pm
Hilda's Poem
By Tommy Campbell
Additional Activities around the city:
Until 28 February 2022
I open my eyes there's no one.
Cruickshank Botanic Garden - University of Aberdeen.
An outdoor exhibition dedicated to a little-known story of Jewish artists whose talent was exploited by the Nazis is now open at the University of Aberdeen's Cruickshank Botanic Garden.
For more information, visit the Polish Association Aberdeen Facebook page
Exhibition highlights 'forgotten' story of Jewish artists exploited by the Nazis
22 January 2022
Photography Competition
For more information, visit Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
25 January 2022, 5.30-6.15pm
'The Choice' by Edith Eger
As part of Aberdeen's series of events to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Aberdeen Interfaith will host an online reading group discussion of the book 'The Choice' by Edith Eger.
Find out more and register here .
There will be free books available for the first 15 people to register.
27 January 2022, 5.30-6.15pm
Music and Meditations for Holocaust Memorial Day
Elphinstone Hall, University of Aberdeen.
The event is jointly organised by Aberdeen University and College Union, University of Aberdeen Multi-faith Chaplaincy, Aberdeen University Students’ Association and University of Aberdeen Chapel Choir.
Each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust chooses a different theme to enable audiences on Holocaust Memorial Day to learn something new about the past. Every theme is relevant to the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and to each subsequent genocide, and has the life stories of those who were murdered and those who survived at its heart – as well as the experiences of resisters, rescuers and witnesses. Our University community comes together to commemorate HMD every year through poetry, readings, music and song. All welcome.
30 January 2022, 2.30-4pm
An afternoon of reflections / One day at a time / Music / One day in the future
Cults Parish Church
Join us in person or online here
