Hillel hosts week of remembrance

Group hopes to raise Holocaust awareness with speaker, films

Hillel, JMU's Jewish student organization, is hosting Holocaust Remembrance Week today through Friday with the theme "Always Remember, Never Forget."

"To help raise awareness on the Holocaust, Hillel, along with the help of other organizations, such as [the Center for Multicultural International Student Services], work to sponsor events which feature films on the Holocaust, as well as an address given by a Holocaust survivor or scholar of the Holocaust," said junior Elissa Berger, Holocaust Remembrance Week chair.

This year, Hillel received help from the English honors society, Sigma Tau Delta, and Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity to bring several scholars to JMU for a panel discussion, and to co-sponsor the "Latino Jews: Journey to America" film.

"Hillel hosts HRW to educate our peers so as to ensure that history does not repeat itself," said sophomore Daniel Teweles, Hillel president. "It is also a great way to bring together different student organizations.

"Many learn about the Holocaust briefly as part of their high school curriculum, but JMU doesn't even offer a course on Holocaust studies," Teweles added. "Plus, there are so many different aspects of the Holocaust and its effects, that we can always have different HRW events."

Holocaust Remembrance Week is held in accordance with the international day of Holocaust Remembrance, which is called Yom HaShoah, according to Teweles. Shoah means whirlwind in Hebrew and "evokes the loss of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis between 1936 and 1945," Teweles said.

Berger said, "The Holocaust is a topic which is featured in classroom curriculums, in books and in far-reaching films such as ‘Schindler's List.' It is simply our responsibility to ensure that such lessons continue to be circulated."

Hillel brought the keynote speaker, Silver, to campus to help relate the Holocaust to the students at JMU. "In the past, a Holocaust Survivor has spoken of his/her experiences, but this year, our goal was to better connect the Holocaust to today and issues and situations which we all face," Teweles said.

For more information on Holocaust Remembrance Week visit www.jmuhillel.org.