Moment of Witness

"Despite our earnest effort, there is still evil in the world. People are still persecuted for who they are. Anger and hatred, nurtured by prejudice, continue to take root in our communities. We proclaim: There is still hope. We each can make a difference. " --From Moment of Witness
How do we continue to commemorate the Holocaust? How can we draw any light from such darkness to influence us today?

As the fragile window of personal witness closes, a new, interfaith edition of Light from the Darkness: A Ritual for Holocaust Remembrance provides a powerful new way to commemorate the Holocaust in our homes, our schools, and our communities, with a focus on real people, the lives they lived, and the communities they called home.

Filled with story and remembrance, Moment of Witness is an immersive 45-minute experience that helps participants fulfill the responsibility that Holocaust survivors have entrusted to all of us: to remember, to tell the story, and to act. It provides a deeply thoughtful way for groups of any background to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) and Yom HaShoah (typically in April or May).

Designed to be used in a group setting (from teens on up), including schools, churches and synagogues, families, or with any intergenerational or interfaith community, Moment of Witness Includes first-person accounts of daily life before, during, and after the Holocaust; questions designed for personal reflection or group discussion; and a guide for leaders to plan and direct the experience.

"How to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive without living witnesses poses a critical dilemma for those who care deeply about the history of the Jewish people. Light from the Darkness offers a powerful tool to help future generations bear witness, to understand the history of the Shoah, and to apply its universal themes to modern times."
--Abraham H. Foxman, National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League and Holocaust survivor
"A poignant and ultimately hopeful ritual. Using the words and visual artwork of the victims and survivors creates a deep and humanizing connection, reminding us to preserve and share the echoes of this tragedy to inspire future generations to ensure 'never again.' "

--Lindsay Friedman, director of Echoes & Reflections, a Holocaust education program of ADL, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem