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April 23, 2004/Iyar 2 5764, Vol. 56, No. 31
Candles of memory
BARRY COHEN
Editor
Elaine Goldenthal lights one of six yahrzeit candles at the Chai-Paradise program "What does the Holocaust mean to you?"
Photo by Barry Cohen
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In observance of Yom Hashoah, a group of Jews and Christians lit candles to recall past memories and fostered new memories through interfaith dialogue.
The Chai-Paradise Project - an interfaith exchange program of Temple Chai and Paradise Valley United Methodist Church - sponsored "What does the Holocaust mean to you? An interfaith Yom Hashoah symposium" on April 19. Approximately 175 people attended the event held at Temple Chai in Phoenix.
The symposium included the lighting of six yahrzeit candles by Holocaust survivors or children of Holocaust survivors.
Following the candle lighting, the participants assembled at tables discussed the question, "As we gather to remember the Holocaust, what do we expect from the evening to bring to our continuing relationship?"
Featured speakers included Holocaust survivor Helen Handler, Rabbi William Berk of Temple Chai and The Rev. Dr. Kelly Bender of Paradise Valley United Methodist Church.
Handler remarked that she always tells her son that "the story of the Holocaust belongs to every Jew. The story belongs to every human being."
Berk stressed the significance of coming to terms with the memories of the Holocaust.
"As a Jew, it is not my business to tell Christians what the implications of the Holocaust ought to be for them," says Berk. "I can only tell you that we Jews are working overtime to figure out the implications for ourselves."
Bender spoke of standing in solidarity with the Jewish people.
"It is really important that we're here tonight as Christians with our Jewish brothers and sisters - that we stand in solidarity but primarily with a stance of penitent listening, sharing as best we can some of the anguish that's behind all that we would remember this night," he remarks.
Other Yom Hashoah events throughout the Valley included survivor Helen Handler speaking at the AIPAC annual event; Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism's screening of "Theresienstadt: Gateway to Auschwitz: Recollections from Childhood"; a program by the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' Association; lectures sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Emanuel, Tri-City Jewish Community Center, Hillel Jewish Student Center and several departments at Arizona State University; and a number of Holocaust memorial services.
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