Carleton to Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

Carleton College will observe Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a service and vigil to be held on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Skinner Memorial Chapel. As part of the ceremony, two speakers—Nelly Trocme Hewitt and Franceline Lurie —will speak about their experiences in Nazi Europe. This event is free and the public is cordially invited to attend.

During the Second World War, Nelly Trocme Hewitt lived in Le Chambon sur Lignon, a small village in France. Under the Nazi occupation, her father, Pastor Andre Trocme, was a key figure in the village’s resistance to the Nazis, and helped to shelter Jewish refugees in the town. Thanks in part to his efforts, the villagers managed to save some 5,000 lives—including that of Franceline Lurie.

“The responsibility of Christians,” Pastor Trocme told his community upon the fall of France to the Nazis, “is to resist the violence that will be brought to bear on their consciences through the weapons of the spirit.” This message is echoed in the title of a film, Weapons of the Spirit, which documents the story of Le Chambon. Weapons of the Spirit will be screened in the Carleton Chapel at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. on Yom HaShoah. It is also available through the Carleton and St. Olaf College libraries.

Beginning at 4 p.m., memorial candles will be available for lighting in the Chapel. A service of Yiddish songs honoring the  casualties of the Holocaust and vivifying the language and culture of the Jews of Europe, led by local musician Rafi Dworsky, will begin at 7 p.m., followed by the presentation by special guests Hewitt and Lurie.

The evening’s commemoration concludes with the recitation of the Mourners’ Kaddish, followed by a vigil lasting until midnight, during which names of the deceased will be read aloud.

This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Office of the Chaplain. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4003.