Reading of Names to be Held Virtually

The Reading of Names, an annual vigil commemorating Kedoshim (those who lost their lives during the Holocaust), will take place virtually from April 20 – 21st, when Yom Hashoah, the Day of Remembrance, begins.

The annual commemoration was originally scheduled to be held in person at Temple Beth Shalom, and typically features Jewish and non-Jewish groups and individuals, congregations, organizations, youth groups, school, and churches that continuously read names over a period of twenty-four hours.

This year’s program will last x and will feature readers from throughout the community.

Lillian Rappaport, Jewish Holocaust Educator who organizes the program each year, said that although the community could not be physically together, it was important to go ahead with the program.

“As we enter the month of April, our thoughts are focused on the 27th of Nisan, when we commemorate Yom Hashoah,” Lillian said. “This year during these challenging times, we will perform the mitzvah of the Reading of the Names, those whom we lost during the Holocaust, virtually. We are grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, representing both the Jewish and the grater Harrisburg communities, who honor us by joining us as we remember.”

Viewers can watch the program via teleconferencing app, Zoom, and the link can be found at www.jewishharrisburg.org/virtual-programming. For more information on the Reading of the Names, or to volunteer as a reader (RSVP by April 15), please contact Lillian Rappaport at l.rappaport@jewishfedhbg.org.