Alexandria Honors Victims of the Holocaust

Members of Alexandria's City Council, the Jewish community and others gathered in City Hall on Wednesday afternoon to honor victims of the Holocaust.

Audience members heard the story of Holocaust survivor Charlene Schiff who told a heart-wrenching tale about when she was a child in a Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust. She had been taken to a Nazi office to scrub floors and for other chores. When she asked for some soap to wash her hands which were black from polishing Nazi boots, she was beaten viciously and for weeks couldn't stand up or sit down.

Ambassador of Poland Robert Kupiecki also spoke. "All decent people should say 'Never again," he said, but added that "people have started to forget."

He cited a Newsweek poll that revealed 40% of Americans don't know which countries the United States fought in the second World War, and said people must fight the "four i's" of ignorance, injustice, intolerance and indifference.

Wednesday marked the city's 24th annual commemoration, which was started by now Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), who also attended the event.

City Council members in attendance and Moran lit a large gold electric candelabra that was donated by Schiff.

Mayor Bill Euille and Rev. Doctor Elbert Ransom Jr. also delivered remarks as did Rabbi Jack Moline of Alexandria's Agudas Achim Congregation and Ally Freeland, a senior at Bishop Ireton High School who is studying the Holocaust. A memorial prayer was delivered by Hazzan Elisheva Dienstfrey of Agudas Achim and closing comments were provided by Rabbi Brett Isserow of Alexandria's Beth El Hebrew Congregation.