Holocaust Days of Remembrance week educates Moody personnel

  • Published
  • By Airman Brigitte Brantley
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Moody recently participated in various events on base that focused on commemorating Holocaust victims and their lives.

The Holocaust Days of Remembrance ran from April 19-26 and included three special events that were scheduled throughout the week to memorialize those who perished.

"Although it's been more than 60 years, it's important to remember the Holocaust," said 1st Lt. Harper Vaughn, Holocaust Days of Remembrance committee member. "It's very important that we never forget the past so that it won't occur again. "

Events for the remembrance week included a memorial service, a film-showing and a tree-planting ceremony--all symbolizing the need to remember.

"We chose these events because each one showed a different way of reflecting on what happened during the Holocaust," said Stormi St John, Holocaust Days of Remembrance committee member. 

Rabbi Moshe Elbaz of the Valdosta Hebrew Congregation spoke at the Moody Chapel and performed a memorial service along with a candle-lighting ceremony in honor of 'Yom HaShoah', the Jewish translation of the Holocaust Day of Remembrance.

"We chose to do a candle-lighting ceremony and a memorial service because of what they represent," said Lieutenant Vaughn. "These two events are traditionally used in ceremonies to symbolize and remember those we have lost."

The second event was a showing of the film, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," held at the Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham Airman Leadership School. The movie was about a young German boy who befriends a Jewish boy who is awaiting execution.

The events culminated with a tree-planting ceremony at Moody's Tree City USA.

"We chose to plant a tree because it's one of the best ways to remember the victims," said Lieutenant Vaughn. "While we want to remember why they died, it's important to also celebrate their lives--and trees represent life."