Everyone is invited to attend our Community Yom HaShoah program in person on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El in Waterford.

In partnership with the Hadassah Henny Simon Remembrance, our program includes a commemoration of the courage and values of Henny Simon and all of the Holocaust victims and survivors in our community. As always, our program will conclude with a Candle Lighting Service honoring victims and survivors and featuring our area rabbis.

Our theme this year is: Auschwitz - Commemorating 80 Years After Liberation.

“WE DON’T WANT OUR PAST TO BE OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE”

That quote is from Roman Kent who has a connection to our community. Roman Kent (1929-2021) was a prominent Jewish Survivor from Poland. He survived the Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz. Roman emigrated to the USA, where he raised a family. He was president of the International Auschwitz Committee and served on the World Jewish Restitution Organization.

Roman was a good friend of Romana Primus’s parents, Rose and Sigmund Strochlitz, also Survivors from Poland, and he visited them in New London several times.

The program will include an opening remarks by Marc Goldsmith - a former Associate Professor of Communication at Mitchell College who held myriad roles during his tenure, including dean of students, and founded the college radio station - and taught classes on the Holocaust. The program will also include videos, a musical interlude, and young people reciting Holocaust poetry and readings.

Advanced registration is recommended. Please click here to register online.