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Community Corner

SOMA Interfaith Holocaust Memorial Service

SOUTH ORANGE/MAPLEWOOD INTERFAITH


HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE SERVICE TO BE HELD APRIL 27 
AT TEMPLE


SHAREY TEFILO-ISRAEL

ORIGINAL DRAMATIC NARRATIVE PRESENTED FOR 37th ANNUAL PROGRAM 

The


annual South Orange/Maplewood Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service, the

first of its kind in New Jersey, honors the memories of 11 million Jews, Roma, handicapped people, Slavs, political prisoners and homosexuals killed in the Shoah; and the lives of survivors, Army


liberators and righteous gentiles. 

This year, the Remembrance Service

features original dramatic narrative, based on the testimony of 20 local men

and women who survived the Holocaust. 

The program recalls experiences in Nazi work camps and death camps,

hiding under the protection of Gentile neighbors and friends, escapes to neutral

or Allied countries, and United States

military service with the Monuments Men.  

The creative expression of the

collective survivor stories is the result of a collaborative effort by Temple

Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) Cantors Rebecca Moses and Joan Finn, and congregant

Russell Kaplan. Community residents, among them professional and

non-professional actors from South Orange and Maplewood houses of worship, as

well as Seton Hall University theatre students, will participate.   Musical selections will accompany the


readings, and will encompass a wide variety of genres and melodies. Voices in

Harmony, an interfaith chorus directed by long-time South


Orange resident Cantor Perry Fine, will also perform during the


service.

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The Remembrance Service

committee will honor South Orange


Middle School art teacher Ellen

Hark with the Sister Rose Thering Holocaust Education Award, recognizing Ms.

Hark’s commitment to Sister Rose’s belief that education will make the world a

more tolerant place.  For several years,


Ms. Hark has coordinated an exhibit of original interpretive artwork by


students, inspired by their conversations with Holocaust survivors.  On April 27, the artwork will be displayed in

TSTI’s Green Social Hall, which is where Ms. Hark’s Award will be presented

following the service. 

Clergy from nearly 20 Jewish, Catholic and Protestant houses of worship in South Orange and Maplewood, as well as officials from both communities and long-time associates of the SOMA Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance service will be present.  

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The Remembrance Service is free of

charge and open to the public. The community is encouraged to bring cans and

boxes of non-perishable food donations to the event for later distribution by

the Food Bank of New Jersey.  For more details and background, contact the

organizers at rememberandtell@gmail.com

or visit www.rememberandtell.org.

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