Survivors' Children Add
Meaning To Service
"It was deeply meaningful to us
because the survivor generation is
quite old now, and we wanted to
honor our parents' lives and basical-
Ann Arbor
ly make a vow to carry on their
hey came together to
memories to future generations.
share their families' nar-
Doing it in a personal way involves
ratives and photographs
Sunday night and to read utilizing specific personal narra-
tives," she said.
their parents' stories of strength,
Music and family photographs
uncertainty, courage and loss.
were used to make the experience
One by one, they stepped up to
more meaningful.
carry forward the stories and les-
"We're using family photographs
sons their parents had shared with
to move from an ungraspable num-
them. They told stories of a secret
ber like six million to understand-
seder held in a concentration camp,
ing that these were individual peo-
a lifelong friendship forged on an
ple with lives that had meaning,"
uncertain boat ride, an impossible
Ensor said.
Mindy Teitelbaum
"I think what was special was of Ann Arbor, who
attends Yom HaShoah
it was the children of the sur- services every year,
felt this year's pro-
the legacy has to be gram was especially
vivors
personal because it
passed on to - the children ..."
came. from congre-
gants. It hit closer to
she said, and is
Holocaust survivor Irene Butter home,
also significant in
that it creates a sense
of continuity with the next genera-
return home, and many others.
tion telling the story.
They lit candles and prayed
"I think to actually hear people's
together — the children of
personal accounts of being children
Holocaust survivors who designed
of survivors — knowing those peo-
and led Ann Arbor Temple Beth
ple — it makes it more personal,
Emeth's Yom HaShoah program,
it's really real," she said. "It was a
the survivors themselves and the
very
moving service.
group that had assembled to take
The range of stories the children
part in the service.
of the survivors told were very
"It is now our job as the second
effective and delivered with corn-
generation to convey the narrative
passion, said Ann Arbor resident
forward in a way that it won't be
Irene Butter, a Holocaust survivor.
lost," said Joy Wolfe Ensor, a mem-
"I think what was special was it
ber of the committee that planned
was the children of the survivors —
the event.
the legacy has to be passed on to
The service was based on a great
the children, and this is evidence
sense of loss but also on continuity
that the legacy is being passed on
and survival, she said. It encom-
—
that they will pass it on to their
passed the vibrancy of life before
children." E
World War II, the suffering during
the war and the ability of the sur-
For more photographs, see
vivors to embrace life again after
wvvw.detroitjewishnews.com
the war.
KAREN SCHWARTZ
Special to the Jewish News
4/23
2004
79