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As your rabbi, and in the name of our wonderful Community Relations Committee, it is my honor to invite you to attend our Yom HaShoah Program at 7:00 pm on May 5th at East Northport Jewish Center.
This year, our program will feature the exciting and deeply meaningful discovery of Chris Nichola. Mr. Nichola, while spelunking (aka, caving) in the Ukraine, came across remnants of what was, no doubt, a record for the continuous habitation of a cave. Jews near Kerowlowka, Ukraine survived there, underground, for over a year-and-a-half, hiding from extermination efforts by the Nazis. Nichola traces his discovery and the subsequent meeting of survivor families, whom he came to know and befriend, with a multimedia presentation. It is a most moving story which has been made into a feature length documentary film.
Unlike our usual format, this year’s service will precede the program, as we are only able to have our presenter on Thursday, the day of Yom Hashoah, May 5th. We will begin our ceremony at 7:00 pm sharp, with the participation of some of our survivor families. The ceremony will include The Theme from Schindler’s List, performed by pianist Terry Bernstein, and the participation of Rabbi Silverman and Cantor Nussbaum. All families will be invited to stand on the bima with our Torah scrolls and our Holocaust Torah from Kolin, Czechoslovakia, as Cantor chants the mournful Kel Mahlei Rachamim. Once our moving ceremony is completed, with the lighting of candles commemorating the loss of our precious 6,000,000, we will begin our special program.
This ceremony and program is our yearly marking of Yom HaShoah. There may be some relatives or friends you wish to invite because our program will probably be a day later than the one that others might attend. Please invite your loved ones and friends to ours.
May the clarion call of Zachor (Remember) and “Never Again” be reinforced and echo strongly this Yom HaShoah season. Our Kedoshim–those who perished–must never be forgotten and the lessons of the Holocaust must never cease. Please grace us with the attendance of your family at this important event.
Bshalom Rav