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50 - 950 West 41st Ave, P: 604.264.0499 |
 commemorative Events |
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Kristallnacht commemorative lecture 7:30pm | November 9, 2008 Keynote Speaker 2008 The annual Kristallnacht lecture in Vancouver commemorates the "Night
of Broken Glass" of November 9, 1938, when synagogues and Jewish
places of business all over Germany and Austria were destroyed by
Nazi hoodlums – an event which is generally regarded as a
major escalation of the Nazis’ anti-Jewish program that eventually
culminated in the Holocaust. Each year’s Kristallnacht observance
includes a commemorative and educational lecture preceded by the
traditional candle-lighting ceremony in memory of the six million
Jews killed by the Nazis. The lecture, by leading scholars, writers,
researchers and thinkers, helps the community gain a deeper understanding
of the events of the Holocaust, its implication for society and
on the community. Following the lecture, members of the audience
may gather for a question-and-answer session with the speaker.
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Charlette Shulamit Ottolenghi |
International Holocaust Remembrance Day The International Holocaust Remembrance Day Event is a multi-cultural, commemorative program, held annually, in partnership with a community group every year and with the Norman Rothstein Theatre (Vancouver West Side Theatre Society). In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating January 27th as an annual, International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. With the declaration, came a flurry of public inquiries and the expectation that the VHEC would act as the lead organization to mark this occasion. Because of the international scope of this newly enacted Remembrance Day, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre conceived and initiated this program as a partnership with the Norman Rothstein Theatre. International Holocaust Remembrance Day embodies the intent of the United Nations General Assembly resolution and transforms it into a tangible reality. This offers the community a unique opportunity to come together and reflect upon the detrimental effects of racism and genocide on all people. This event will serve to bridge communities, who may have been disparate in Europe but now have common bonds here in Canada. Information for 2009 to be announced. |
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Yom Hashoah 2008 | Songs of Remembrance, Hope and Peace |
Yom HaShoah The Yom HaShoah Commemorative Event features a community-wide commemorative concert which attracts over 400 people and is held annually in Vancouver to mark Yom HaShoah, the day on which Jews world-wide mark and remember the Holocaust and corresponds to Nisan 27 on the Hebrew calendar. The event first began as an initiative of Vancouver Holocaust survivors in the 1950s. It became an annual program of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre when the centre opened in 1994. It is organized by members of the VHEC’s 2nd Generation Group. The Jewish community benefits from having a public and collective commemoration of the Holocaust, to remember the people who perished and the communities, the culture and the way of life that was lost. The event brings together survivors, members of the second and future generations, as well as members of the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in support, reflection and hope. The commemorative event transforms the official proclamations of both the Canadian House of Commons and the British Columbia Legislature into a tangible reality. In 2003, Yom HaShoah was proclaimed as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Canada, by the House of Commons, stating that this day “will now be officially observed by the entire country”. The House voted unanimously to create Holocaust Remembrance Day, to be observed on the day corresponding to the Yom HaShoah date on the Jewish calendar. Similar memorial days have been proclaimed in every province, including British Columbia, to be marked in perpetuity. Monday, April 20, 2009 |
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Yom HaShoah commemoration at the BC legislature |
High
Holidays & Yom HaShoah 12 Noon | Sunday May 4th, 2008 Service Includes Two services are held each year at the VHCS Holocaust Memorial located at the Schara Tzedeck Cemetery in New Westminster. The High Holidays cemetery service takes place on the Sunday between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The Yom Ha Shoah cemetery service takes place on the Sunday before or nearest to Yom HaShoah. Both services include Hebrew and English Tehillim (Psalms), El Moleh Rachamin, (memorial prayer) and candlelighting in memory of those who perished. Information for 2009 to be announced |
