For International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, January 7th, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

From Elizabeth Cohon, President of Temple Israel of Valparaiso:

On this solemn day of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am giving you an assignment - a call of action. When I was in the Hall of Names at the Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center - in Jerusalem this past June, I noticed a nondescript acrylic form holder with sheets of paper. They were blank “Pages of Testimony”. 

From their website, "Yad Vashem, with the support of Jewish communities and organizations around the world, is leading the historic mission to memorialize Jewish victims of the Holocaust by collecting “Pages of Testimony" – special one-page forms designed to restore the personal identity and brief life stories of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices. Submitted by survivors, remaining family members or friends and acquaintances in commemoration of Jews who perished in the Holocaust, Pages of Testimony document the names, biographical details and, when available, photographs, of each individual victim."

The photo below shows the special Yizkor files that surround the Hall of Names, which is at least three stories in height, and inside are pages of testimony. 

If you (and pass this on to those who do) have a personal testimony or any information that can be shared with Yad Vashem, please take the time to go to the website to fill out a page. There is an online form or print out and mail directly to the museum. 

https://www.yadvashem.org/archive/hall-of-names/pages-of-testimony.html. 

https://www.yadvashem.org/downloads.html

Also beginning today, Yad Vashem has a special exhibit at the UN of the Book of Names. https://www.yadvashem.org/press-release/19-january-2023-10-35.html

Zichronom l’vracha “of Blessed Memory"

Elisabeth Cohon
Temple Israel of Valparaiso
President