On Sunday, April 12, at 7 PM, Sinai Temple will host our annual community commemoration of Yom HaShoah.  The evening will be a program of music, prayer, and reflection.  Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Amy Simon, speaking on “Voices From the Abyss: Holocaust Diaries in History and Memory.”  Dr. Simon will discuss diaries written during the Holocaust and what an empathic reading of their texts can teach us about Jewish experiences and emotions during the darkest period in Jewish history.  We will be reminded of the value of listening to these individuals’ stories, as we move further away from the historical event.

Following the program, all are invited to join us in the Davis Chapel for a light reception and a chance to view the exhibit “Through Their Eyes.”  This exhibit, curated by the Holocaust Education Committee of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation, displays artwork and writing from area students, inspired by their study of the Shoah.  The exhibit will also be on display from Monday, April 13th to Wednesday, April 15th from 10am-2pm each day.

Dr. Amy Simon is an Associate Professor and holds the Farber Family Chair in Holocaust Studies and European Jewish History at Michigan State University where she has won multiple awards for her teaching and service. Her publications include Emotions in Yiddish Ghetto Diaries: Encountering Persecutors and Questioning Humanity (Routledge, 2023), as well as articles and chapters on Holocaust diaries, fiction, memoir, and pedagogy. She has previously worked at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and teaches classes on Holocaust history, narratives, testimony, and memory.

This program is generously supported by the Jack and Sadye Marco Holocaust Fund of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Endowment Foundation