The Holocaust Memorial

The Or Hadash Holocaust Memorial was dedicated on October 14^th, 2018.

A gift for generations

It was a gift from the Lindy Family, and was sponsored directly by Alan and Carolyn Lindy. The gift included money for the memorial, and for ongoing Holocaust Education. Contributors can still make donations for Holocaust Education. Alan and Carolyn Lindy dedicated the memorial. The text of their presentation is here.

Watch a video of the Memorial’s creation (15 mins)

From left to right: Phil Rosenberg, Carolyn Savitzky, Vivien Kane, Warren Young, Ami Kardos, Doug Smithman, Rob Sigafoos, Carolyn Lindy, Alan Lindy, Robert Goldberg-Alberts, Rabbi Joshua Waxman, Cheryl Kripke Cohen, Lillian Gewirtzman, Jay Cohen, Amy Gewritzman, Dan Schwarz, Lucy Raizman, and Michael Oswald.

At Alan’s request, Rob Sigafoos created a maquette, a sculptor’s small preliminary model or sketch that is part of our permanent exhibit for the memorial, in the solarium. We created a sign for the maquette, using Rob’s own words. A link to the sign is here.

Dedication Ceremony

The ceremony included a presentation by Lillian Gewirtzman, herself a holocaust survivor. Mrs. Gewirtzman had developed a presentation about the Displaced Person Camps for the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County. The center graciously allowed us to reprint their exhibit materials. Mrs. Gewirtzman lived in a DP camp before immigrating to the United States. Mrs. Gewirtzman is the mother of Steven Gewirtzman, and member of the Or Hadash congregation. Amy Gewirtzman is Lillian’s daughter-in-law, and managed the relationship with the Museum, and the details for Lillian Gewirtzman’s participation.

Watch the presentation and dedication

Holocaust Committe Projects Ongoing

Every year, Or Hadash presents a Kristallnacht/Pogramnacht program to commemorate the holocaust. It is held on a Sunday, mid-morning, open to all and includes the older school students. In 2022, a very important and moving program entitled “Voices from the Pittsburgh Massacre: A Modern Progrom” was presented by OH Education Director Rabbi Erin Hirsh. Rabbi Erin shared memories, stories, and first-person accounts of the massacre at her home congregation: the Dor Hadash/New Light/Tree of Life synagogues in Pittsburgh. The video from the program is now on our YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/JxILqgOmduo). Also now available here are transcripts of the first person accounts and the slides that correspond to the transcripts.

We have also now dedicated The Penny & Joe Aronson Holocaust Education Library, on our second floor just off of the Staircase Art Gallery.