Temple Israel to Host Dr. Martin Rumscheidt at Holocaust Remembrance

From Temple Israel: Last year Temple Israel welcomed a child survivor of the Holocaust to speak on Portsmouth’s on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). At the event Dr. Ira Schwartz (chair of Temple Israel Cultural Endowment Committee) emphasized that “Holocaust remembrance is not a one off event. We are dedicated to hearing the stories of those who witnessed the darkest chapter in human history. This is particularly important as we are the last generation that will hear first hand testimony.”

Dr Schwartz’s message is echoed by Lauren Keats and Colin Silverman of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. “It is up to us, the last generation with the gift of hearing from these survivors firsthand, to pass on their stories. It is up to us to honor them today by listening, asking questions and sharing with them the happiness of our own childhoods, giving them a chance to experience what the Nazis stole from them.”

This year Temple Israel will host Dr. Martin Rumscheidt a UCC ordained minister grew up in Nazi Germany. As an adult he was forced to confront the dark reality that his parents were Nazi industrialists and perpetrators. His father worked with Himmler and the SS to recruit slave labor from the nearby Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau for a program called “Extermination Through Labor”. As an ordained minister in Canada, Dr. Rumscheidt spent 5 decades wrestling with his parent’s responsibilities while facing his own individual shame.

Who: Temple Israel
What: Yom Hashoah (Community-wide Holocaust Remembrance Day)
Where: 200 State Street, Portsmouth, NH 03820
When: Sunday, April 30, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m

This program is part of an ongoing effort to afford the community opportunities to hear first-hand testimony and learn from the amazing journeys of those who survived one of history’s darkest chapters. The program is open to people of all faiths and will take place at Temple Israel on Sunday, April 30th at 3 PM. All are welcome. The address is 200 State St, Portsmouth, NH 03801. This program is sponsored by the Temple Israel Cultural Endowment. For more information please call the Temple office at (603) 436-5301.

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