How do we continue to commemorate the Holocaust? How can we draw any light from such darkness?
As the fragile window of personal witness closes, a new, interfaith edition of Light from the Darkness: A Ritual for Holocaust Remembrance provides a powerful new way to commemorate the Holocaust in our homes, our schools, and our communities, with a focus on real people, the lives they lived, and the communities they called home.
Filled with story and remembrance, Moment of Witness is an immersive 45-minute experience that helps participants fulfill the responsibility that Holocaust survivors have entrusted to all of us: to remember, to tell the story, and to act. It provides a deeply thoughtful way for groups of any background to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) and Yom HaShoah (typically in April or May).
Designed to be used in a group setting (from teens on up), including schools, churches and synagogues, families, or with any intergenerational or interfaith community, Moment of Witness Includes first-person accounts of daily life before, during, and after the Holocaust; questions designed for personal reflection or group discussion; and a guide for leaders to plan and direct the experience.
"How to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive without living witnesses poses a critical dilemma for those who care deeply about the history of the Jewish people. Light from the Darkness offers a powerful tool to help future generations bear witness, to understand the history of the Shoah, and to apply its universal themes to modern times."
--Abraham H. Foxman, National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League and Holocaust survivor
"A poignant and ultimately hopeful ritual. Using the words and visual artwork of the victims and survivors creates a deep and humanizing connection, reminding us to preserve and share the echoes of this tragedy to inspire future generations to ensure 'never again.' "
--Lindsay Friedman, director of Echoes & Reflections, a Holocaust education program of ADL, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem
