Holocaust commemoration programs planned
YOUNGSTOWN — The Jewish Community Relations Council will sponsor the annual Holocaust commemoration programs for Yom Hashoah (Holocaust remembrance). This year’s theme is “Never Again: What You Do Matters,” which was set by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
A program is planned at 7 p.m. Friday at Temple El Emeth, 3970 Logan Way, Liberty Township, with Rabbi Bruce Elder, a Youngstown native.
Rabbi Elder, a child of a Holocaust survivor, will speak about his experiences to return a rescued Holocaust Torah scroll to the Czech Republic. The Torah is at his Chicago-area synagogue. The program is free but reservations are requested by calling the temple at (330) 759-1429.
The annual Shoah memorial ceremony is planned at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane. This ceremony will feature a student-created multi-media presentation developed under Jesse McClain, Boardman Center Middle School teacher and Holocaust educator. McClain will receive the Yanusz Korzcak Award from the Youngstown State University Department of Judaic and Holocaust Studies. The ceremony also will include Holocaust-inspired readings, historical perspective and candle-lighting ceremony led by survivors and children of survivors.
The 16th annual community Holocaust commemoration event will be at noon Tuesday at Mahoning County Courthouse rotunda. This event will feature the winners of the JCC’s annual student Holocaust writing contest, the presentation of the Youngstown mayoral proclamation and a candle-lighting ceremony to honor the six million who were killed.
The Holocaust Commemoration and Education Task Force is chaired by Rabbi Joseph Schonberger and Rochelle Miller, children of Holocaust survivors, and includes other survivors, children of survivors and interested community volunteers.
For more information, call the JCRC at (330) 746-3251.