Week of Remembrance Centers on Vigil

The vigil is the main event of Holocaust Remembrance Week, a series of events planned to educate members of the University community about the Holocaust.

Names of Holocaust victims will be read for 24 hours straight in the Pit, starting at noon.

The reading is broken up into 288 five-minute increments, with a speaker lined up to read names during each interval. Most of the names will be read by students, with representatives from student groups, University officials and local officials joining in as well.

Among those who are scheduled to read include UNC-system President Molly Broad, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser, Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and Student Body President Jen Daum. Student groups whose representatives will participate in the reading include the Black Student Movement, Campus Y, Carolina Union Activities Board and Student Environmental Action Coalition.

This is the sixth year Holocaust Remembrance Week has been co-sponsored by N.C. Hillel and CUAB.

Lisa Wald, CUAB Holocaust Remembrance Week coordinator, said this year's events stand out from other years in part because of the amount of community involvement.

She said the popularity of the event might have stemmed from the event occurring annually for the past six years.

"The response to the reading of the names has been incredible," she said. "We've really been impressed by the amount of support."

Abby Karesh, Hillel Holocaust Remembrance Week coordinator, said that although this year's events differ from last year's, the number of events remains the same.

She noted a new event called Reflections, which will feature drama, poetry and music about Holocaust themes. Reflections will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Union Art Gallery.

"Instead of a speaker, we have Reflections because we wanted to showcase Carolina students and give them a chance to express themselves," Karesh said.

Nathan Cherry, CUAB Holocaust Remembrance Week coordinator, said students have been interested in the event in the past and have shown the same level of interest this year.

The week kicked off Monday night with a screening of the film "Life is Beautiful."

Karesh said that the film "Life is Beautiful" does not provide complete depiction of the Holocaust because it only uses the event as a backdrop, but that it raises awareness of the week.

The next scheduled event, Wednesday night's dinner and discussion with Holocaust survivors in Union 226, gives students a chance to hear first-hand accounts of the Holocaust, Cherry said.

He said the events scheduled for Thursday are more artistic, while the Memorial Service for Holocaust victims at N.C. Hillel scheduled for later in the week has a more religious aspect.

The service will be held at 6:15 p.m. Friday.

"We've got a diversity of planning for the week," Cherry said.

Karesh said the week's events not only serve to memorialize the Holocaust, but also to educate students about what some see as the causes of the Holocaust, including indifference, ignorance and prejudice.

Cherry said it is important for students to apply lessons learned about the Holocaust to the present day.

"It was a terrible injustice," he said. "We must look to lessons in the past to fight injustices today."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.