Holocaust Survivors In Cleveland To Be Honored In May

BEACHWOOD, OH — On May 1, the Cleveland community will gather to honor and remember Holocaust survivors who now call Northeast Ohio home. Nearly 770 Holocaust survivors live in the Cleveland area, according to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

The free and annual event honoring Holocaust survivors will be held at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, 27501 Fairmount Boulevard in Pepper Pike. The event is open to the entire community and will be held by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Kol Israel Foundation's Yom Hashoah V'Hagvurah. Ceremonies begin at 7 p.m.

The commemoration will include a procession of Torah scrolls from Europe which survived the Holocaust. Survivors will be joined by their families in a candle lighting ceremony honoring the six million Jewish people that perished in the Holocaust.

Children that attend the ceremony can take part in a "March of Generations," a symbolic walk that signifies the continuation of Jewish life after the Holocaust. Educators will also be recognized for their work in keeping the memories of the Holocaust alive.

More information on the event can be found online.

As part of this year's commemoration event, several local schools entered the Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah Creative Arts Contest. Students were tasked with creating original poems and visual art pieces about what Holocaust survivors did to rebuild their lives. The 2019 winners of the contest are:

Visual Arts – High School:

• 1st Place: Elizabeth Poole (Saint Joseph Academy)
• 2nd Place: Ashley Carey (James A. Garfield High School)
• 3rd Place: Madison Wilson (Saint Joseph Academy)

Visual Arts – Middle School:

• 1st Place: Emery Fleischer (Miller South)
• 2nd Place: Eva Ptahia (Fuchs Mizrachi School)
• 3rd Place: Kirsten Horner (Miller South)

Writing – High School:

• 1st Place: Orly Einhorn (Beachwood High School)
• 2nd Place (tie): Kyleigh Grandon (James A. Garfield High School) and Adina Firestone (Chaviva High School)
• 3rd Place: Sarah Fullerton (Beachwood High School)

Writing – Middle School:

• 1st Place: Michal Pollak (Fuchs Mizrazhi School)
• 2nd Place: Tehila Kahn (Fuchs Mizrazhi School)
• 3rd Place (tie): Avner Baskin and Sigal Baskin (Fuchs Mizrachi School)