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Days of remembrance: Time to reflect on the Holocaust
Sunday, April 15, 2012
By: Hank Silverberg
WTOP
WASHINGTON - The Holocaust is
one of the darkest eras in history. It took millions of lives and changed the
way society looks at mankind.
This year, Holocaust
Remembrance Day falls on Thursday, April 19 with the National Days of
Remembrance running April 15-22. This year's theme is "Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue."
The U.S. Holocaust Museum
will stream a live webcast of the National Days of Remembrance commemoration
held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda at 11 a.m., April 19.
Dor L'Dor in Hebrew means
from Generation to Generation. That's the main purpose of Holocaust Remembrance
Day, teaching new generations about the horrid mistakes of the past like the
Nazis organized annihilation of religious and ethnic minorities between 1933
and 1945.
The exact number of victims
may never be known, but estimates place the figure between 11 and 17 million
people, not including those who died from combat or military campaigns.
Debra Linnick, director of
the Jewish Community Relations Council for D.C. and Northern
Virginia says their efforts are aimed mostly at children and young adults.
"We have over a dozen
survivors in Virginia, and a similar number in Maryland that are committed to
sharing their stories with teens and college students in small groups,"
she says.
One of those survivors is
Michel Margosis of Fairfax County who escaped from the Nazis in Belgium in 1940
at age 14. [Correction: 12, mm)
"The Holocaust was so
unique but yet we have genocide going on all over," he says. "So this
is just one story to connect to the others and show how bad it can be."
Students will not only hear
about the World War II-era Holocaust but also about recent episodes of genocide
in both Africa and the Balkans.
Linnick says that's equally
important.
"In our own communities
around the world, where we see injustice, we need to stand up against
that," she says.
Locally, events will be held
Sunday, April 22 at the Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase, Md between 4 -
6 p.m. and at the Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, Va between 2 - 5:30 p.m.
The Holocaust Museum holds a
names reading ceremony every year during the Days of Remembrance. For times and
dates, follow this link.
Follow Hank and WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All
Rights Reserved.)
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