As I mentioned in my earlier blog posting, the Yom HaShoah ceremony for the Halifax community was held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
The Museum and the Atlantic Jewish Council partnered to create a wonderful exhibit to honor the tragic story of the SS St. Louis (check out this link). A ceremony was held last June to mark the date of the return of the St. Louis to Europe. The full formal exhibit was opened to the public on Kristallnacht. Last night, the story of the exhibit came full circle, so to speak.
To recap, in 1939, the S.S. St. Louis desperately sought a port of refuge for more than 900 Jewish passengers who were fleeing Nazi Germany. After the nations of South America and the United States refused them entry, they appealed to Canada as their last hope. When Canada decided to reject the St. Louis, the ship was forced to return to Europe and many of its passengers later perished in the Nazi death camps.
Almost 60 years later, David Demian of Watchmen For The Nations began encouraging Canadian church leaders to take responsibility for the antisemitic sins of their forefathers, beginning a journey of healing and reconciliation that would span years and continents. The remarkable story is chronicled in a movie called "The Embrace"
Last night, David Demian was the keynote speaker at the Halifax ceremony. Addressing a large audience, he spoke very movingly of his spiritual journey. Here are some pictures from the event.
No comments:
Post a Comment
While you are free to disagree with something I have said or posted, you must not use inappropriate language - comments that are profane, racist or otherwise objectionable will not be tolerated.