Oak Ridge Today

Tennessee Holocaust Commission accepting student entries for 2022 contest

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Mira Kimmelman challenged students and those in her audiences to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice. (Submitted photo)

“The Holocaust is a lesson in human (and inhuman) history that took place because of hate, bigotry, indifference—all characteristics that know no bounds. These traits spread like wildfire. If we remain indifferent to human suffering, it can happen again; it can happen here, and who knows who the next victims will be? Only by remembering the bitter lesson of Hitler’s legacy can we hope it will never be repeated. Teach it, tell it, read it.”—Mira Ryczke Kimmelman, “Echoes from the Holocaust”

Mira Kimmelman challenged students to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice as she gave talks about her own experiences for more than 50 years, according to Larry Leibowitz, Knoxville attorney who is chair of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.

The Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” Contest, established after her death in 2019, continues her legacy, a press release said. The contest invites Tennessee high school and middle school students to submit essays and projects that reflect how the lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to current events and their own lives.

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Winners of first Kimmelman ‘Learning from Holocaust’ essay contest

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Winners have been announced for the first Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” essay and project contest. The winners were announced by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.

“Mira Kimmelman challenged students to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice for over 50 years,” a press release said. “The contest continues her work and legacy, asking Tennessee students to create projects that reflect how the lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to current events and their own lives. The contest has both middle school and high school entry options, all of which prompt students to reflect on the lessons learned through the study of Holocaust history.”

The contest is sponsored by the Kimmelman family and the Tennessee Holocaust Commission to honor and further Mira Kimmelman’s lifelong efforts to teach children to never forget and to learn from the horrors of the Holocaust., the press release said.

The high school winners are:

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Kimmelman to be remembered with state proclamation, tribute on Friday

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Mira Kimmelman accepts an award from Hadassah. (Submitted photo)

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally will present a state proclamation in honor of Mira Kimmelman on Friday, August 16. The presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge.

Jinx Watson will receive the proclamation from McNally and give a tribute to Kimmelman as her longtime friend and fellow educator, a press release said.

Following the program will be a Friday night service and then a potluck meal, the press release said.

“The public is invited to attend this celebration of Mira and the community potluck following the service,” the release said. [Read more…]

Holocaust Remembrance Program this Sunday

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Holocaust Remembrance Program 2018 Proclamation Reading (Submitted photo)

Holocaust Remembrance Day: The City of Oak Ridge has proclaimed May 5 to be Holocaust Remembrance Day for 2019.

The Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge (JCOR) and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church (ORUUC) have partnered together to present the annual Holocaust Remembrance Program, a press release said. It will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the JCOR Sanctuary, 101 West Madison Lane in Oak Ridge, on May 5. There will be a candle lighting ceremony, songs, readings, and prayers. The Holocaust Remembrance Service is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership, and the public is encouraged to attend, the press release said. [Read more…]

Holocaust Remembrance Program is Sunday in Oak Ridge

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Mira Kimmelman

Mira Kimmelman

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. [Read more…]

Holocaust Remembrance program on April 23

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Mira Kimmelman

Mira Kimmelman

The City of Oak Ridge has proclaimed April 23 to be Holocaust Remembrance Day for 2017.

The Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge, or JCOR, and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, or ORUUC, have partnered together to study the Holocaust and to conduct a Holocaust Memorial Service. The service will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the JCOR Sanctuary at 101 West Madison Lane in Oak Ridge on April 23. There will be a candle lighting ceremony conducted by Mira Kimmelman, as well as song, readings, and prayers.

The Holocaust Memorial Service is a community service sponsored by the Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership, and the public is encouraged to attend, a press release said. The Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership is a new community organization based out of ORUUC, and it is designed to bring people from different religious backgrounds together so that the group can educate, eliminate prejudice, and build a stronger community, the press release said. [Read more…]

Call for nominations for annual Naida Finane Award for Courage, Tolerance

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Nominations for the fourth annual award to honor the legacy of educator Naida Finane are currently being collected by the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Board of Trustees.

Any resident of Anderson or Roane counties who has demonstrated a superior act of compassion, love, and/or justice is eligible to be nominated for the Naida Finane Award for Courage and Tolerance, a press release said. The recipient shall have been at the forefront as a “voice for a more compassionate and inclusive greater Oak Ridge with the action(s) recognized having occurred in the greater Oak Ridge area and restricted to human issues.”

“Naida braved the world of Oak Ridge High School, where there was no club for GLBT students and took on the leadership for the first club. She was a memorable person for many students’ lives,” said her friend and fellow educator Jinx Watson.

“Naida’s infectious enthusiasm and openness, coupled with her originality, energy, and humor, captured the imaginations of students fortunate enough to find themselves in her classrooms during her 38-year teaching career, the majority of which was spent teaching English at Oak Ridge High School. A gifted and devoted teacher, an extraordinary person, whose innate joy and determination spilled out onto her family, friends, coworkers, and others, including her students,” words taken from her obituary. She died in February 2011. [Read more…]