On Sunday, April 11th at 2pm, a commemorative program in honor of Holocaust victims and survivors will be livestreamed via the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center. JFHNA is a proud sponsor of this annual statewide event.
The Holocaust Days of Remembrance (Yom HaShoah) solemnly observes the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and honors our Alabama survivors and their families. This year’s meaningful program will feature various speakers including Governor Kay Ivey, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Pastor Chris Edmonds, son of World War II hero Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, whose fearless bravery saved the lived of Jewish American soldiers in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. Edmonds recently received the designation of Righteous among the Nations from Yad Vashem.
The program will feature the rededication of a newly planted Anne Frank Tree in Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park. Anne Frank, a young Jewish victim of the Holocaust who is famous for keeping a diary of her experiences, often looked out upon a large horse chestnut tree in the garden as she and her family hid from Nazi capture. For her, the tree symbolized freedom as well as nature, which she longed to enjoy once again. In this spirit, we will hold the Anne Frank Tree Rededication at Kelly Ingram Park. The new tree, an American beech, will replace the horse chestnut tree planted 11 years ago.
This program will be livestreamed beginning at 2:00 pm. A recording will be available after the event. More information and a link to the program are at https://bhecinfo.org/ .
An educator’s packet with lesson plans can be downloaded, and can also be found on the BHEC website
