Chapel Haven Schleifer Center (CHSC) was honored to join with the Yellow Lights Program to present Flick the Switch, lighting up the campus in yellow to honor the victims of the Holocaust and to shine a spotlight on the lessons of this atrocity.
In a packed ceremony, CHSC was joined by New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker; Ms. Fay Sheppard, a Second-Generation Survivor; Ms. Harriet Schleifer; and friends across the New Haven community. Rachel McEachern, founder of the CHSC Judaism Club, served as emcee. Members of the CHSC Judaism Club performed a closing selection and the 60-plus who attended all received Yahrzeit memorial candles to light up at the conclusion of the ceremony. The REACH student lounge was bathed in yellow lights as everyone sand Hatikvah. A planning committee with Chapel Haven staff, Fay Sheppard and Doris Zelinsky planned the event.
“Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time to commemorate the six million Jews and countless others who perished and to recognize the resilience of survivors. It’s also a call to action to stand against hatred and ensure that their stories are never forgotten,” said Rachel “Believe it or not, we have been faithful to Never Forget as a community since 1977. On Whalley Avenue, stands the first Holocaust memorial built on public land in the United States. New Haven was, in fact, a haven for survivors to reclaim their lives and rebuild with dignity. We must continue to live by the principles of those who helped survivors and hold our heads up high when it may not be easy. At the end of the day, we are all human and we are connected, regardless of where you come from. It’s essential that we teach the next generation about the rippling effects of prejudice and hate. Let us remind ourselves that it is never too late to be on the right side of history.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on the 27th of January that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one-third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, an attempt to implement its “final solution” to the Jewish question. The 27th of January was chosen to commemorate the date when the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.
The REACH student lounge was packed with attendees.
The Yellow Lights program started in 2022 in our neighbor, New York State, as “New York State Lights Up”. A volunteer committee felt the need to bring greater awareness to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The volunteers reached out to landmarks in the state, requesting that they light up yellow on Jan 27 to honor the victims of the Holocaust and to shine a spotlight on the lessons of this atrocity.
In 2022, partnering landmarks like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Niagara Falls, Penn Station, Grand Central, airport terminals, and prominent bridges throughout neighboring N.Y. joined in lighting up yellow.
In 2023, Governor Lamont added a Connecticut location, the Travelers Towers in Hartford. This January 27, 2024, active volunteers in greater New Haven will add over 25 New Haven landmarks, as we join this effort to light up yellow. CHSC is proud to be one of those landmarks. Look for a billboard after the New Year at the I-95/91 interchange celebrating this important milestone.
Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey and Orange Selectman Mitch Goldblatt attended and enjoyed meeting CHSC community member Debbie.
The event received extensive media coverage, including:
New Haven Mayor Joins Jewish Community Members for Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony
Landmarks light up yellow for Holocaust Remembrance Day
New Haven Flicks the Switch – Holocaust Remembrance
In photos: New Haven International Holocaust Remembrance Day
