Holocaust Remembrance event in Vernon Hills

On Sunday, May 1, Congregation Or Shalom in Vernon Hills will hold a unique Yom Hashoah Holocaust Commemoration Service starting at 7 p.m.

The event will feature guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Cipora Katz, with music performed by the Vernon Hills High School concert choir.

Despite the more than 60 years since the Holocaust, the lessons of this event remain relevant today. As a result, during one day each year, called Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom Hashoah, Jews and others around the world honor the memories of those lost at this time.

Although the number of Holocaust survivors continues to dwindle, efforts abound to record their testimonials for future generations.

Katz, who survived the war hidden in a potato shed, will tell her personal story of survival despite the loss of most of her family.

The evening will also feature an original musical cantata based on poems written by children interned at the Terezin Concentration Camp.

Although this camp was “showcased” to the Red Cross as an idyllic place, more than 97,000 died there. Of those, 15,000 were children; only 132 camp-interred children reportedly survived.

The music, which reflects these moods, will be performed by the Vernon Hills High School Concert Choir under the leadership of director and teacher Jeremy Little, who worked with the music’s composer to make this event possible.

Little is using this music as a semester-long teaching tool for his students to add depth to this historical event and to help them understand how music is created and its impact on the lives of those involved.

Or Shalom’s seventh-grade students will lead attendees in special readings and a candle-lighting ceremony. Also featured is a display of original artwork in memory of those who perished during the Holocaust.

This commemoration is open to the public.

Congregation Or Shalom is at 21 Hawthorn Parkway, Vernon Hills For details, contact Andi Freier Nussbaum at (847) 362-1948.