Holocaust Memorial Day 2026

28 January 2026, 6.30pm

Council Chamber, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LU or join us for the livestream at www.facebook.com/ReadingCouncil.

Join us for an evening of reflection to remember victims of the Holocaust.

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2026, ‘Bridging Generations’, is a call-to-action. A reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn’t end with the survivors – it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us.

Keynote Speakers

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Jonathan Wittenberg was Rabbi of the New North London Masorti Synagogue and is now Senior Rabbi of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues UK. He is a President of the Council of Christians, founder of Eco-Judaism and closely involved in supporting refugees. He teaches and speaks widely, including on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day and Prayer for the Day. His publications include The Eternal Journey: Meditations on the Jewish Year (2001); The Silence of Dark Water, An Inner Journey (2008); Walking with the Light (2013); My Dear Ones: One family and The Final Solution (2016); Things My Dog Has Taught Me About Being A Better Human (2017), and Listening for God in Torah and Creation (2023).

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles has been a Local Councillor for Whitley Ward since 2021. She has been a steadfast Labour and Cooperative Party member and a member of the Fabian Society and Fabian Women’s Network UK, Female Wave of Change Global and other organisations in the UK and globally. Alice has lived in Whitley, Reading, for over 22 years. She is married and lives with her husband and their dog Zii. She has 2 adult daughters, and her 2 daughters received an education in local primary and secondary schools. Alice has a Doctorate in Human Geography, works as a Senior Researcher Fellow at a university, and previously worked as a Social Worker in adult social care and mental health. She has also worked as a diplomat in different countries. Amongst other issues close to her heart, Alice advocates for refugees, inequalities in health, and food poverty. She is also a keen writer. She has survived breast cancer and wrote a book, Dear God from Your Poached Egg Breast. She has received numerous awards for her services to volunteering, refugees, communities, and education.

Maximilian Kalyuzhnov

Maximilian is a Member of the UK Youth Parliament for Reading and a member of Reading Youth Council. He also serves on Ofcom’s Youth Advisory Board for England. He is currently a student studying A levels and is honoured to contribute to Reading’s Holocaust Memorial Day event.

Also featuring: a candle lighting & memorial ceremony and performances from the Maidenhead Synagogue Choir.

The event is supported by Reading Borough Council, Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (Acre), Reading Hebrew Congregation, Maidenhead Synagogue, Refugee Support Group, Berkshire Rwandese Community.

Live and online event. The event will be live-streamed on the Reading Council Facebook page.

For further information please email events@reading.gov.uk.