On Holocaust Remembrance Day, 'we must see ourselves as if we first came out of Auschwitz'

Rabbi Edward Friedman of Temple B'nai Israel urged about 20 people who gathered with him Wednesday evening in Aurora to continue to tell the story of 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the heroism of survivors and rescuers.

Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom Hashoah, is marked on April 27 in Israel. Flags are lowered to half-staff, public entertainment venues are closed, and ceremonies are held nationwide, starting with a siren at 10 a.m. and two minutes of silence.

"We tell the tale for not just Jewish people but for all to know," he said after a two-minute silence during the service. "In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we first came out of Auschwitz."

The outdoor ceremony in Aurora was held under a gazebo at Millennium Plaza on Stolp Avenue next to the Fox River.