Yom Hashoah program: a solemn and dignified affair
The Community-Wide Holocaust Memorial Program featured a changing of the guards this past Sunday, April 27, as the Holocaust Memorial Committee that sponsors the event welcomed a new chairman, Henry Rosenblat, and the Jewish Community Center ushered in a new era under the leadership of Jewish Family Life director Liba Kornfeld.
Holocaust survivor Philip Bialowitz lights one of the candles on the Holocaust menorah as his son and JCC director of Jewish Family Life Liba Kornfeld look on. (Photo by Alan Smason)
The traditional processor of the survivors took place with Joseph Sher, the oldest of the New Orleans area Holocaust survivors being escorted by wheelchair into the Mintz Auditorium of the Uptown Jewish Community Center at 5342 St. Charles Avenue.
Each survivor held a memorial candle in his or her hand and were escorted by their children, or in some cases by their grandchildren.
Rosenblat, the son of survivors Ralph and Gertrude Rosenblat of blessed memory, welcomed the approximately 200 attendees on behalf of the Holocaust Memorial Committee and acted as the master of ceremonies for the evening.
Following an opening prayer by Kornfeld’s husband, Rabbi Ethan Linden of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah” were sung in unison with the audience by Congregation Beth Israel administrator Rabbi David Posternock.
Members of the ADL's Donald Mintz Youth Leadership program stand with tour chaperones, left. (Photo by Alan Smason)
Betty Lazarus of the South Central Region of the Anti-Defamation League introduced the nine members of the Donald Mintz Youth Leadership Mission to Washington, D.C. The group each read individual couplets of a large poem, expressing their thanks for their participation in the program, which exposed the private, parochial and public school high school juniors to hate and intolerance.
Tony Behan, the lead teacher of the Religion Department and director of the campus ministry at nearby De La Salle High School accepted the Educator of the Year Award from former ADL South Central director Cathy Glaser. A check made out to De La Salle was presented by Rosenblat and his sister Ruth Loeffelholz in memory of their parents.
Keynote speaker Philip Bialowitz was introduced by his son Joe, who gave insight into the remarkable string of events that kept his father alive during the Holocaust.
The elder Bialowitz recounted how he was picked out of a line by happenstance and how he pretended that he and his brother possessed skills the Nazis needed in processing the prisoners to the Sobibor death camp. As Bialowitz explained, the purpose of the camp was not to utilize the labor there. On the contrary, he stated, the camp was intended to kill as many Jews and other prisoners as possible in an organized, efficient fashion.
Joe Bialowitz,left, with his father Philip Bialowitz,immediately after the program. (Photo by Alan Smason)
It is estimated 250,000 Jews perished at the hands of their Nazi tormentors during the period between 1943 and 1944.
Bialowitz and his brother were part of a revolt in which 600 prisoners attempted to escape. 200 of them did manage to flee the facility, but after a year only 42 still survived, two of them being Bialowitz, now 88, and his brother.
Bialowitz and his son were among the many including Behan and Glaser, who were called to light the six-tiered memorial menorah constructed by Isak Borenstein of blessed memory, himself a Holocaust survivor. Others called to light the six candles in memory of the slain six million Jews were Behan and Glaser; Rabbi Ed Cohn and survivor Jeanine Burk; Eugenia Yuspeh and Issac Niederman; Margo Berger and Ernest Holzmann; and survivor sisters Anne Levy and Lila Millen.
Following a short speech by Touro Rabbi Alexis Berk, a moment of silence was held prior to “Prayer” from “Jewish Life” by Ernest Bloch. Louisiana Philharmonic 2nd cello Daniel Lelchuk was accompanied on piano by Diano Aldos.
Congregation Anshe Sfard Rabbi David Polsky recited “Ani Ma’amin,” (“I Believe”) a hymn reportedly used as an anthem by Holocaust victims during World War II.
The Yizkor service featured the recitation of “El Maleh Rachamim” by Sher, which was followed by Rose Langley, who recited each of the names of the former New Orleans area Holocaust survivors who are now deceased. Sher helped lead the Kaddish from his wheelchair.
A closing prayer was delivered by Congregation Gates of Prayer Rabbi Robert Loewy before Rosenblat closed out the program.
Following the program, light refreshments were served and Bialowitz signed copies of his book “A Promise at Sobribor: A Jewish Boy’s Story of Revolt and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Poland.”
Here’s a gallery of many photos taken at the program:
