Generations commemorate Holocaust effects

Shirley Shangguan Staff Writer

The generational effects of the Holocaust have touched millions, including members of the Vassar and Poughkeepsie communities. These issues will be expressed through an event on the Vassar campus this Sunday that will feature spoken word pieces and musical selections.

On April 15 at 12:30 p.m., the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County, in conjunction with the Vassar College Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Vassar Jewish Union, will host its annual Holocaust rememberance event in the Aula. This year, the event falls on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The program is entitled “L’Dor Va Dor: From Generation to Generation,” and will communicate the impact of the Holocaust on the children and grandchildren of survivors. Vassar students will read short pieces about their experiences as the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Bradley Klein ’09 will open the ceremony with a rendition of Frédéric Chopin’s “Nocturne in E-minor, op. 72, No.1.” Klein said the piece “is a good reflection of the type of environment surrounding the Holocaust—somber, yet hopeful.”

Acting Director of the Learning and Teaching Center and English and Jewish Studies Professor Natalie Friedman will serve as the keynote speaker. She has written about such American literature topics as the Holocaust and the immigrant experience. She is also the grandchild of Holocaust survivors from the Auschwitz, Grossrosen, Bergen-Belsen and the Bor labor camps.

In addition, local survivors will light six candles in remembrance of the 6,000,000 Jews who were killed in the Holocaust, and an additional candle will be lit in appreciation for those who helped the Jews during the Holocaust.

The Cappella Festiva Treble Choir will perform “Ani Ma’Amin,” directed by Director of Choruses at Dutchess Day School Susan Bialek with accompaniment provided by professional violinist Rachel Handman. This piece was chosen because Holocaust victims sang the song in concentration camps to sustain hope.

Members of Vassar choirs will also sing “Even when God is silent” by Michael Horvit, which will be conducted by Director of Choral Activities Christine Howlett.

The event was cancelled a few years ago, but was revived by Assistant Director of Spiritual and Religious Life Rabbi Rena Blumenthal and the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County in 2006. Last year’s theme was child survivors of the Holocaust.

Blumenthal said that the event aims to memorialize the lives lost during the Holocaust, and to teach the public about tragedy to prevent future genocides. “Genocide is happening in Darfur right now, just like it happened in Rwanda years ago. We need to be more conscious in our lives. After all, the world let the Holocaust happen,” said Blumenthal.

Adam Bloom ’07 will speak in honor of his grandmother, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz, and his grandfather, who was imprisoned in Birkenau. He said that his speech will express the lingering effects of his grandparents’ Holocaust experiences, as well as his perceptions of his grandmother’s bitterness and his grandfather’s continuing good nature. Bloom said that his grandparents’ reactions have taught him that “people can’t let scars from their pasts affect the duration of their existences.”

Since this event will occur during Vassar’s Parents Weekend, Blumenthal hopes that “parents will be moved by this event. Parents should recognize that we have events on campus that honor history and memorialize the Holocaust.”

Klein encouraged everyone to attend. “It is very important that all types of people—even those who aren’t Jewish—attend this event. We shouldn’t take for granted the freedoms that we have.”

Director of the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County Bonnie Meadow said she hopes that this event will bring Vassar and the community together “as we pool our experiences, our viewpoints and our sensibilities to make the event meaningful to both planners and attendees alike.”