By Kristie Schiefer
Staff Writer
The Holocaust Remembrance Day memorial service began as the vision of St. Bonaventure students. Tonight, a memorial service will inform and educated attendees about the impact of the Holocaust in the University Chapel.
“(Freshman) Marni Conboy and I were interested in organizing a Holocaust Remembrance Day memorial, so we brought the idea to Sister Suzanne (Kush, C.S.S.F.) and asked if she was interested in collaborating with us to organize the event on campus,” sophomore Simone Bernstein said.
Guest speakers included Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president, and Holocaust survivor Joseph Diamond.
“I asked Sister Margaret to speak at the event about the role of righteous gentiles and their importance in saving thousands of lives,” Bernstein said.
“Remembrance of the Holocaust is important,” Sister Margaret said. “Such remembrance guarantees that we are always on guard when faced with racism, prejudice, exclusion of human rights. These memorials awaken our consciences to see the dangers in new invitations to marginalize those we fear or whose beliefs differ from our own.”
To help organize the event, Bernstein contacted the Holocaust Resource Center in Buffalo to request a Holocaust survivor to speak to students. Diamond vowed to get even by telling his story instead of taking his revenge through killing. He wants people to realize the dangers when minorities are blamed, according to holocaustcenterbuff.com.
“Holocaust survivors are aging, so it is truly amazing to have the opportunity to bring a survivor to campus to tell their story,” Bernstein said. “They provide such a powerful testimony of the past and remind us of the importance of remembering. Very soon in the future, we won’t have these first-person accounts of the tragedies. Therefore, opportunities to hear a Holocaust survivor tell their story are extremely rare and precious.”
For Bernstein, organizing the event was an incredible learning experience.
“I wanted to organize a meaningful and educational experience for students to help them understand the impact of the Holocaust,” she said. “It’s important to showcase the impact of the Holocaust so people never forget nor allow it to happen again. Through this Holocaust Remembrance Day event, we are remembering those that survived, suffered and fought for their lives.”
The event also plays a special role in the Franciscan tradition of St. Bonaventure.
“Remembering the story of the Holocaust provides us an opportunity for us to reflect on the past and honor the 11 million who died,” Bernstein said.
“The service is really highlighting the individuals who have in some way lost their lives through the atrocities of World War II, as well as remembering those of various ethnic groups, countries and religious backgrounds,” Sister Suzanne, director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, said.
Senior Mike Kaplan, also responsible for organizing the event, said students cannot forget the tragedy.
“We also celebrate the righteousness of men and women who bravely stood then, as well as those who stand today, in their attempts to protect the marginalized men and women of the world,” Kaplan said.
Members of the community lighted seven candles at the service to represent individuals and groups of individuals who died during the Holocaust.
schiefkm10@bonaventure.edu
