Yom HaShoah Commemoration

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Commemoration May 13 at the Jewish Cultural Center

Yom HaShoah, Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism, is an occasion to commemorate the lives and heroism of the six million Jewish people who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945.

Chattanooga’s Yom HaShoah event will occur on Monday, May 13, 2024, 7:00 p.m. at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. The event is free and open to everyone in the community. Yom HaShoah consists of candle lighting to honor those lost to violence as well as survivors of the Holocaust and their family members. The event also includes prayers. This year, Holocaust survivor, Herschel Greenblat of Atlanta, will speak about his family’s history.

Hershel Greenblat was born as Grisha Grinblat in Ukraine in 1941. The first year of his life was spent hiding in a cave with his parents. When the German invasion of the Soviet Union began, Hershel’s family moved frequently to avoid capture. Eventually, they settled in a city in eastern Ukraine under false identities and a younger sister was born. Hershel’s father was arrested by the Soviets around 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in prison. At the end of World War II, Hershel’s father was released from prison and the family decided to flee Communist controlled Ukraine.

“This year we have chosen to commemorate Yom HaShoah a week later than the traditional date in order to hear from a Holocaust survivor. Herschel Greenblat will just be returning from Poland as part of the March of the Living program.” stated Michael Dzik, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga.

While at the Jewish Cultural Center visitors can view two exhibitions. The Bedouins of Israel highlights the culture of one of Israel’s minority groups through the eyes of the Federation’s Shaliach, cultural emissary, who worked with the Bedouin for two years. This exhibit will be on display through July.

The second exhibit, Shabbat Table, honors our friends and our Hadera/Eron Partnership Community members who have perished, and all who were murdered, or were/are hostages since the Hamas Terrorist attack of Oct. 7th, 2023. The Shabbat Table with 12 seats, signifying the 12 Tribes of Israel. This exhibit will be on display until May 14.

The Jewish Cultural Center, funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, offers programs, classes and exhibits, social services, and a preschool—all rooted in Jewish values. The facility enables the Jewish community to raise its visibility, foster relationships, and strengthen its identity in the Chattanooga area. Located at 5461 North Terrace, the Center and its programs are open to everyone regardless of religious affiliation.