Families urged to light candles to preserve memory of Holocaust victims

The candle should include personal information about the individual who perished, including details of their age at their time of death, where they lived and their profession.

By OMRI RON
Lighting a candle in the memory of those who've perished in the Holocaust (photo credit: MARK NAYMAN)
Lighting a candle in the memory of those who've perished in the Holocaust
(photo credit: MARK NAYMAN)
Families of Holocaust victims are being urged to light public memorial candles on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in a new initiative to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust by the "Our 6 million" nonprofit organization.
The initiative encourages families of Holocaust victims to light a public memorial candle on the 27th of January, the International Holocaust Remembrance day. The candle should include personal information about the individual who perished, including details of their age at their time of death, where they lived and their profession.
The project was started in response to a survey held by the organization, which found that over 67% of people believe that over the next 50 years the people who perished in the Holocaust and their stories will not be remembered, with only 5% of those answering saying that they attended Holocaust memorial ceremonies. This initiative aims to try and remedy this, by ensuring that some of that story lives on.
"The Holocaust, which brought us to return (to) the State of Israel, also left an important message which we must pass on - never again. Memory and commemoration are necessary: Firstly, because this is the history of our people and our nation and it must be preserved. Secondly, because only by remembering, will we ensure that such a horrific calamity will not happen again," said Nora Siperman, CEO of Our 6 Million.
The candles include several technological additions as well, such as a QR code which can be scanned to learn more about the individual, with the information coming from a data base which contains the name of a quarter of a million names, each with its own story.
"From a survey we conducted we learned that 75 years after the liberation of the Auschwitz camp, 42% of the public say that in 50 years people will not remember the Holocaust. Our goal is to strengthen the memory of the perished and the Holocaust by instilling this tradition, with all families lighting personal memorial candles at home, with their family & friends, thus connecting the Jewish people of today with the victims of the Jewish nation during the holocaust.” Alicia Yacoby, founder of Our 6 Million, stated.