Bridging Generations: Remembering the Holocaust 81 Years On

This month, on 27 January, Jewish people around the world will mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Known as Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), the theme for HMD 2026, Bridging Generations, is a call to action. It is a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance does not end with the survivors; it li

ves on through their children, their grandchildren, and through all of us. This theme encourages us to engage actively with the past – to listen, to learn, and to carry those lessons forward. By doing so, we build a bridge between memory and action, and between history and hope for the future.

As the years pass, we grow more distant in time from the Holocaust and from the other, more recent genocides commemorated on HMD. That distance brings a risk: memory can fade, and the harsh reality of what happened may become blurred, abstract, or even questioned.

Bridging Generations highlights the crucial role of younger generations in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and carrying it forward. It emphasises the power of intergenerational dialogue – listening to those who came before us and sharing their stories with those who come after. In doing so, we do not simply preserve memory; we connect it meaningfully to the present.

Genocide does not discriminate by age. Infants, children, adults, and the elderly have all endured unimaginable suffering in different ways. In many cases, entire family lines were erased. Bridging Generations invites us to honour every life – including those who left no family behind to carry their legacy – whose stories live on not through bloodlines, but through books, films, and other forms of remembrance.

You can find out more about how to take part in Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 here:
https://hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/