Holocaust Remembrance Program is Sunday in Oak Ridge

There will be a Holocaust Remembrance Program at the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge on Sunday.

It’s presented by the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. The Holocaust Remembrance Service is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership, and the public is encouraged to attend, a press release said. The City of Oak Ridge has proclaimed April 15 to be Holocaust Remembrance Day for 2018, the press release said.

The Holocaust Remembrance Program will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge Sanctuary, which is at 101 West Madison Lane. There will be a candle lighting ceremony, songs, readings by members of both congregations, and prayers, the press release said.

The Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership is based out of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, and it is “designed to bring people from different religious backgrounds together so that we can educate, eliminate prejudice, and build a stronger community,” the press release said.

Mira Kimmelman, a local Holocaust survivor, initiated the Holocaust Remembrance Service many years ago, the release said. Kimmelman is the author of “Echoes From the Holocaust: A Memoir” (1997) and “Life beyond the Holocaust: Memories & Realities” (2005). She spent many years lecturing to various community groups and classes.

This year, the memorial service, which is designed to teach about the lessons of persecution and hatred, occurs on April 15. This is the same date that Kimmelman was liberated from Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945, the press release said. Liberation will be one of the central themes in Sunday’s service, the release said.

Working with Kimmelman on the Holocaust Program are Ronnie Bogard, Jinx Watson, Martha Deaderick, Patsy Stacy, and Steve Reddick.

“Together, they have created a meaningful program and a commitment to carry on the mission to educate about the Holocaust so that it will not be forgotten,” the press release said.

The Oak Ridge Chapter of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, led by Al Good, will have yellow memorial candles for attendees to pick up after the service. The candle can be lighted in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The candle is modeled after a traditional Jewish memorial Yahrzeit candle that burns for 24 hours during periods of mourning and on the anniversary of death, the press release said.

“This program is designed to bring the community together to confront antisemitism and Holocaust denial,” the release said. “There has unfortunately been a continuing rise in antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hatred in this country, and across the world. We remember this difficult time in history, empowering us to speak out and commit to changing the direction for future generations.”

This press release was submitted by Rhonda Bogard.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

 

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