Holocaust Memorial Day – Remembering Srebrenica

Every year Holocaust Memorial Day provides an opportunity to remind us where hatred, prejudice and racism can ultimately lead.

At the start of the new millennium, the United Kingdom made a commitment “to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and of all genocides,” and set January 27th as Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD).

Since 2015 St Mary’s Church in Kingswood, has provided one of the few public events in the county where survivors of genocide can share their story. In recent years we have welcomed:

• Harry Bibring witnessed Kristallnacht in Vienna, before fleeing as a child with his sister on the Kinder transport.
• John Dobai as a 10 year old endured the siege of Budapest.
• Janine Webber witnessed her family being led away to be killed, alone she was forced to hide, finally finding refuge in a monastery.
• Eric Murangwa the goalkeeper for the leading football team in Rwanda, escaped the genocide due to the courage of his teammates.

This year in conjunction with Remembering Srebrenica and to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica, we are pleased to welcome Sheila Osmanovic to share her story with us. Sheila grew up in Sarajevo, aware of conflict elsewhere, but never thought that it would happen where she lived. Sheila survived the siege of Sarajevo and will talk about her experience, explain the background to the conflict in Bosnia and the events that led to the genocide at Srebrenica.

Hear her story from 7pm, refreshments starting at 6.30pm.

For press/media interest in Holocaust Memorial Day at St Mary’s contact Bob Copeland or Revd Rick Williams.