N.B. DIFFERENT START TIME FOR CHRISTCHURCH
CHRISTCHURCH, MARCH 24: “Scholarship Under Fire: Teaching and Research While Israel is at War”
Prof. Michal Bar-Asher Siegel
Even though Israel is at War, we are delighted to invite you to an evening with Prof. Michal Bar‑Asher Siegal, one of Israel’s leading scholars of Jewish–Christian relations in Late Antiquity and the Vice President for Global Engagement at Ben‑Gurion University of the Negev.
Prof. Bar‑Asher Siegal plays a central role in shaping BGU’s international partnerships and global academic strategy, while also ensuring a vibrant, supportive environment for the University’s international students and scholars. Her home city of Beersheva sits just 23 km from the sites attacked on October 7, bringing a deeply personal dimension to her reflections on Jewish history, resilience, and identity.
A professor in the Goldstein‑Goren Department of Jewish Thought, her research focuses on the complex interactions between early Christians and rabbinic Jews, using comparative readings of foundational texts to illuminate how these communities shaped — and challenged — one another. She has held prestigious visiting professorships at Harvard Law School, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a member of the Israel Young Academy of Sciences.
Her acclaimed books include:
- Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud (CUP, 2013), winner of the 2014 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award
- Jewish‑Christian Dialogues on Scripture in Late Antiquity (CUP, 2019), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award
Join us for what promises to be a fascinating and timely exploration of how a university faces and overcomes many challenges encountered in wartime.
Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Mary Potter Community Centre
442 Durham St North, St Albans, Christchurch 8014
Online access. Please contact the Secretary if you wish to obtain the link to allow you access to the live talk.
Please bring a plate of finger food to share for supper afterwards.
No pork or seafood products, thank you for your understanding.
We look forward to seeing you there.
ROTORUA: Vigil for Bondi
Sunset over Bondi Beach
We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.
Location: By Lakefront, Rotorua
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm
Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.
“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”
RAGLAN: Vigil for Bondi
Sunset over Bondi Beach
We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.
Location: Papahua Domain
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm
Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.
“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”
WELLINGTON: Vigil for Bondi
Sunset over Bondi Beach
We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.
Location: By Freyberg Pool, Oriental Parade, Wellington
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm
Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.
“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”
CHRISTCHURCH: Vigil for Bondi
Sunset over Bondi Beach
We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as flowers are laid, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.
Location: Bridge of Remembrance, Christchurch
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 2pm
Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.
“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Jan 25-29
We are delighted to be hosting commemorations in five locations across New Zealand. Please RSVP for the event that best suits you.
- RSVP HERE for AUCKLAND, 2.30 pm, Sunday 25 January 202607
- RSVP HERE for HAMILTON, 3:30 pm, Sunday 25 January 202607
- RSVP HERE for WELLINGTON, 5:30 pm, Tuesday 27 January 202607
- RSVP HERE for BLENHEIM, 5:30 pm, Thursday 29 January 2026 07
- RSVP HERE for CHRISTCHURCH, 5:30 pm, Thursday 29 January 202607
RSVP deadline: Monday, 5 January 2026.
Registration is essential, as places are limited. Please register early to secure your seat.
Exact venues will be confirmed closer to the date
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this meaningful moment of remembrance and hope.
Kindly disregard this correspondence if you have already registered or responded.
B’shalom,
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Auschwitz
Why We Remember: The Enduring Significance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Every year on January 27, the world pauses to honor the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others murdered during the Holocaust. This date—marking the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945—was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. But this day is more than a historical marker; it is a solemn call to remembrance, education, and vigilance.
A Day of Memory and Meaning
The Holocaust was not only a genocide—it was a systematic attempt to erase entire communities based on ethnicity, religion, disability, and identity. Jews, Roma, disabled individuals, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, LGBTQ+ people, and others were targeted in one of history’s darkest chapters.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day ensures that this horror is never forgotten. It’s a day to remember the victims, honor the survivors, and confront the ideologies that made such atrocities possible.
More Than a Memorial
This day is also a global educational mandate. The UN urges all nations to develop programs that teach the lessons of the Holocaust, combat antisemitism, and challenge all forms of hatred and intolerance. In a world where misinformation and denial still circulate, remembrance is resistance.
Each year, the UN and countries around the world host commemorative events—featuring survivor testimonies, exhibitions, and reflections on justice, resilience, and human dignity. Themes often focus on survivor legacies, youth education, or the role of justice in healing.
Why It Still Matters
In an age of rising extremism and polarization, the lessons of the Holocaust are more urgent than ever. This day reminds us that genocide doesn’t begin with gas chambers—it begins with words, with dehumanization, with silence in the face of hate.
Remembering is not passive. It’s an act of moral courage. It’s how we say, with conviction: Never Again.
Related Observances
While International Holocaust Remembrance Day is globally recognized, many Jewish communities also observe Yom HaShoah in April or May. This day focuses more specifically on Jewish resistance and mourning, often marked by sirens, silence, and public readings of names.
Let us remember not only what was lost, but what must be protected: truth, dignity, and the humanity of all people.
