Metro
'Never Again!'
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
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HMC's annual Yom HaShoah program honors survivors,
memorializes victims and cites current anti-Semitism.
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REMEMBER THE SIX MILLION . MARTYRS!
hough the main focus
was on the past — pay-
ing tribute to the 6
million victims of the Holocaust
— main speakers at the 62nd
annual Yom HaShoah Memorial
Convocation didn't forget some
of the world's current problems,
such as growing anti-Semitism
on college campuses, Holocaust
deniers, efforts to eradicate Israel
and genocide in Darfur.
The event at the Zekelman
Family Holocaust Memorial
Center in Farmington Hills drew
an overflow, standing-room-
only audience of more than 350
people.
Left: Erna Gorman, a hidden child during the Holocaust: We must gather here more than once a year to remember."
Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig,
Right: Cantor Michael Smolash of Temple Israel sang two songs recalling the plight of Polish Jews during the Holocaust.
HMC founder and CEO, bristled
at the audacity of the Iranian gov-
ernment convening a conference
of Holocaust deniers late last year.
sang two songs about Polish Jews and
stood by and did nothing to try to prevent hidden by gentile families — expressed
"Their president [Ahmadinejad] said
their wartime tribulations. Other read-
worry that children today "do not study
the Holocaust.
the State of Israel supposedly was cre-
the details of the Holocaust long enough!' ings and songs were presented by the
"A 'person' decided not to bomb the
ated only to appease the Jews for the
"We must gather here more than once a children and adult sections of "Spring,
railroad tracks that carried Jews to the
Holocaust; so if there really was no
the Intergenerational Choir" from the
year to remember:' she said, echoing sur-
gas chambers:' Dr. Treblin said. "Another
Holocaust, then the state of Israel isn't
Jewish Community Center in Oak Park.
vivors' sentiments about the need to keep
`person' refused to let a ship full of Jewish
necessary now," Rabbi Rosenzweig said.
Youngsters and women from the former
fighting anti-Semitism.
refugees dock in the U.S. for a safe haven.
"He's committed to wiping Israel off the
Soviet Union started the choir in 1994 to
"We all hoped that anti-Semitism
Another 'person' welcomed Nazi rocket
map. If the world denies the Holocaust,
help them assimilate into American life.
would perish with those who died
scientist Werner Von Braun to America as
then it could happen again."
Staunch HMC supporter Shari Ferber
at Auschwitz:' said Abe Pasternak of
a hero instead of making him face trial
Dr. Steven D. Grant, HMC execu-
Kaufman of West Bloomfield read a poem
Southfield, "but it continues today in
as a war criminal. The laws of God were
tive committee chair, cited the rise of
she wrote about her aunt who led children
many places, including right here at
abandoned; it was an abysmal period in
anti-Semitism on Detroit's Wayne State
on a walk to the gas chambers and per-
Wayne State University." He survived
world history"
University campus and other places
ished with them.
incarceration at the Auschwitz and
throughout the world that "creates a dan-
Rabbi Rosenzweig concluded the obser-
Buchenwald concentration camps.
Still Battling Evil
ger for all college campuses and Israel!'
vance by challenging Jews to do their best
Ben Kawer of West Bloomfield, a
Many local survivors and their families
Dr. Charles Silow, president of the
to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust
Holocaust survivor who speaks to HMC
solemnly watched a candle-lighting cere-
•
Children of Holocaust Survivors
victims.
mony as their representatives lit nine can- tour groups, said many of the visitors
Association in Michigan, recognized
"What would happen if the 6 million
are "very surprised" to learn about the
dles, six for the 6 million Jews murdered
the "miracle that anyone survived the
came back alive today and asked all of
by the Nazis and one each for fallen Israeli Holocaust atrocities and of the return of
Holocaust" and called survivors the
us what we have done to remember them
anti-Semitism today. "We must keep tell-
soldiers, American military fighting ter-
"true heroes of the 20th century" He also
ing them so that everyone will remember," and to make sure the Holocaust doesn't
issued a warning about the "humanitarian rorism today and the Shaarit Haplaytah
occur again?" he said rhetorically. "What
he said. Kawer escaped during a four-day
Society survivors. Alan Zekelman, whose
catastrophe affecting 400,000 people in
would
you say to them?
Nazi death march of prisoners away from
family recently donated $10 million to the
Darfur."
"Many
people have tried to water down
the approaching Allies in 1945.
HMC, conducted the ceremony.
Dr. Michael H. Treblin, HMC president,
the
uniqueness
of the Holocaust. We must
The musical segment of the program
Erna Gorman, representing the hidden
referred to the "insidious evil of the
remember
the
suffering
of the 6 million,
also was solemn. Cantor Michael Smolash
children of the Holocaust — youngsters
Holocaust ... a depravity that has yet
and
say:
Never
again!"
Ili
of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield
who escaped death because they were
to be defined." He chided the many who
.11 6,k !'
Apri! 19
a
2007
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