Six hundred candles set out in the shape of the Star of David will be lit at York Minster on Thursday 23 January, in memory of more than 6 million Jewish people murdered by the Nazis in the Second World War.
The candle-lit star on the floor of the cathedral’s ancient Chapter House is part of a week-long programme of events across York and the region, marking International Holocaust Memorial Day which takes place on the 27 January each year.
This was the date in 1945 of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp – the largest Nazi death camp.
The international theme for this year’s commemoration - ‘Stand Together’ – encourages people everywhere to support each other, speak out and stand together against forces – such as religious and racial hatred, social and political inequalities – that divide and displace communities and which can lead to acts of genocidal violence.