Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Rememberence

At the end of this article, I have typed out the mourners Kaddish in English and I ask that you please recite it and take a moment of silence to remember those who perished in the Holocaust as well as in other genocides around the world.

Yom Hashoah is the Jewish holiday when Jewish people, and hopefully people of other religious denominations, remember the terrible occurrences of The Holocaust.

As many of you know, my maternal grandparents are survivors, as well as my maternal great-grandmother, and 2 of my grandfather's siblings.  The only current surviving survivor of the Holocaust is my grandmother, who is extremely active in Holocaust remembrance.  She is even president of The Society of Survivors of the Riga Ghetto, a group of men and women who survived the Riga ghetto (Latvia).  It is a way for the group to stay in touch and on top of various happenings in the lives of one another.  A newsletter goes out once a month, which my grandmother puts together each month.

Although Yom Hashoah was technically on Friday, May 2, many Jewish organizations hold events throughout the month of March.  My grandmother attends most that are held in the New York area as long as she has been invited.  

Yesterday, my grandmother was invited to be one of 36 women to light candles in a 2 hour ceremony held at the famous reformed Temple Emmanuel in New York City right on the corner of 5^th Avenue and 65^th Street.  She received 2 tickets, one for herself and one for a guest.  She invited me to go and I agreed.  Wearing the required black suit, flat shoes (alright I forgot I had to wear flats but I wasn't in stilettos) and a sticker that read "Remember the 6,000,000 Lost," I walked into the 65^th Street entrance of Temple Emmanuel where the 36 women were being staged for the event.  The event, by the way, was organized by the Museum of Jewish Heritage located in the Flatiron District of New York City right on 16^th Street.

This year, the women lighting candles would be paired with Jewish young professionals from the New York area.  One of the volunteers who worked at the event asked if I'd like to accompany my grandmother to light the candle.  I said I would be honored.  They pinned a flower onto my lapel which symbolized that I was an escort for the day.

After 2 hours of waiting, we filed into the main sanctuary where were took our seats and the remembrance ceremony began.  Two women were the hostesses of the event.  They both spoke about their own families experiences during the Holocaust and the importance of remembering so that something like this never happens again, not only to the Jews, but to any race, religion, culture, gender, etc.  The head Rabbi of Temple Emmanuel spoke and the Jewish High School Choir performed 2 beautiful songs, one in Hebrew and one in English.  They later performed, as the closing portion of the ceremony, "The Ghetto Song" in Yiddish.  Former New York City mayor Ed Kosh was there, as well as prominent Jewish business men and women from New York City including Ron Perelman and Edgar Bronfman, Jr., both of whom are members of that synagogue.  Even Dr. Ruth Westheimer was there and famous and not-so-famous Rabbis from the NY area.  New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke beautifully (he had family who perished) just before a Holocaust survivor sang the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer to remember the dead that we don't just say on days such as this, but in any service including Shabbat and other holidays.

I had heard stories about Temple Emmanuel before.  About it's beauty, the workmanship that went into building it over 150 years ago.  About the prominent Jewish members who are very outspoken about their religion (many prominent people are not outspoken about their heritage, which, no matter what heritage you are, is a sad thing).  All of the stories does not do this synagogue justice whatsoever.  This has got to be the most beautiful temple in the country.  There is colored marbles everywhere.  The woodwork on the Bimah is absolutely indescribable.  The ceiling is carved in such a way that Stars of David are every few feet, in various colors.  The arch around the main stage is a massive mosaic, with various smaller mosaics showing symbols of Judaism in bright colors, gold leaf and silver.  I couldn't stop looking around.

I attempted to take photos during the ceremony and the synagogue but despite my job at Canon, I don't have a camera that could get photos close enough to see the speakers or the ornate detail of the synagogue.  

All in all, it was a beautiful ceremony.  It is sad to know that many of the survivors are dying out and most likely there won't be any left in the years to come, which makes ceremonies like there and others going on this month and throughout the year so much more important.  Remembering what happened during the years of The Holocaust is important for Jewish and non-Jewish people alike.  Remembering the terrors will hopefully stop something of this magnitude, and of smaller magnitudes from happening again.  Just as with anything else, education is the best way to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Please recite the Mourner's Kaddish and take a moment of silence when you've completed.

THE MOURNER'S KADDISH

Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.