“never again” – “always remember.”

Yom Hashoah event Sunday April 15 @ Temple Beth El

Joint Program of:

Chabad of Knoxville

Heska Amuna Synagogue

Knoxville Jewish Alliance

Knoxville Jewish Day School

Temple Beth El

(Unfortunately, I missed attending the event to remember the victims and survivors of the Holocaust) It was at Temple Beth El synagogue. For those of you who do not know, 6,000,000 Jews perished during the Holocaust in the early 20th century. It was one of the worst attacks on Jewish people.

Yom Hashoah means "the day to remember the holocaust"

REFLECTING ON YOM HASHOAH

One could say the Yom HaShoah service started in a panic. The President of the Knoxville Jewish Alliance (me) left the Yom HaShoah candles at home. That is after staring at them for two weeks every day as they sat on my desk next to my car keys just so I wouldn’t forget them.

But, thankfully, Laura Faye Berry came to the rescue (as usual). She had brought candles as a backup. Abraham Breitstein brought his own candle to light (a smaller one) and it looked perfect centered among the others.

Our Holocaust survivor and escapee candle lighters

were Trudy Dryer, Henry and Claudia Fribourg, Pat and Michael Messing, Sonja DuBois, Carol and Morris Ickowitz, Grace Lewis, and Abraham Breitstein.

Raphe Panitz led the quick-moving service that lasted just under an hour. Ken Brown blew the shofar. Daniel Magilow, Lindsey Young Associate Professor of German and Associate Director of the UT Humanities Center, made his remarks followed by a beautiful rendition of Zog Nit Keyn Mol performed by Jack Love. Rabbi Ferency chanted El Malei Rachamim (version for the Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust) and Mourner’s Kaddish.

....The most moving part of the service to me was performed by the students from Heska Amuna Synagogue, Knoxville Jewish Day School, and Temple Beth El....

A poem, At My Bar Mitzvah and His, was read by Cora Grabel, Gabby Goodfriend, and Jonah Mesa. Headan Maman, Stella Galanti, and Carlie Boxt followed with a harmonious, melodious singing of Ani Ma’amin. I didn’t want them to stop. The students’ participation and music were directed by Norma James.

Prior to the Temple Beth El choir singing De Saloniki a Auschwitz(by Guy Mendilow), Steve Lewis presented some poignant commentary about the song that was based on a poem by David Haim (written on a cement bag in Auschwitz in 1943). Soloists were Katlyn Householder and Lynn Bennett.

In Rabbi Wilhelm’s closing remarks, he spoke about having an empty chair at the Seder to commemorate the six million. However, instead of an empty chair, we are encouraged to invite a Jew, who otherwise would not have celebrated the Seder, to fill that extra chair.

By doing so, we defeat the Nazi goal that fewer and fewer Jews celebrate their Jewishness.

About 75 people attended the Yom HaShoah service at Temple Beth El.

Diana Steinfield Hicks drove all the way from Cosby in a drizzling rain to be there. I only mention that because, to me, Yom HaShoah should have attendance like Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur.

Next year the service is to be held at the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge. But, unless there are objections, I would like to intercept the rotation and have it at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center if we can create a reverent atmosphere there.

by Knoxville Jewish Alliance president Chip Rayman

“Never Again” – “Always remember.”

Love,

Hannah