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Jews gather at Temple Emanu-El for Holocaust Remembrance Day

By Lydia Sarraille

Temple Emanu-El will hold a community Yom Hashoah service or Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 15 at 7 p.m.

This observance brings together the congregations of Beth David, Shir Hadash, Sinai and the Jewish Federation of Santa Clara.

Assistant Rabbi Joel Fleekop of Shir Hadash said the shared observance is symbolic of one aspect of Yom Hashoah.

"It's important for us to come together and show the strength of the Jewish community on this special day," Fleekop said.

As in years past, this year's commemoration will include testimony from Holocaust survivors and a solemn memorial service for the more than 6 million Jews killed in the genocide.

The commemoration is largely considered a religious ceremony by the Jewish community and has been a national memorial day in Israel since 1959, when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion signed the memorial day into law. According to the ancient Jewish calendar, Yom Hashoah falls on the 27th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, which is early spring.

In Israel, the sound of sirens at 10 a.m. signals citizens to stop whatever they are doing and observe two minutes of silence for the dead. Rabbi Daniel Pressman of Beth David said Israelis even pull their cars to the side of the road so that the whole country comes to a virtual standstill.

Jews from around the world observe Yom Hashoah by participating in the March of the Living, a memorial service held annually at Auschwitz in defiance of the death marches of the Holocaust.

The service will take place at Temple Emanu-El, 1010 University Ave. Rabbi Dana Magat will lead the service. For more information on Temple Emanu-El and a complete event calendar, visit www.templesanjose.org.