The virtual State of Kansas Holocaust Commemorative Service will be held at 1 p.m. on April 26.
The State of Kansas, led by Gov. Laura Kelly, will memorialize the victims of the Holocaust. Founders of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants recognized that the lives of citizens are vulnerable to the power of elected officials. Their years of many efforts resulted in the government supported Yom HaShoah observance.
Kelly will present the Kansas Proclamation for the Days of Remembrance, which includes the following: “…the Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators…the people of the State of Kansas should always remember the terrible events of the Holocaust and remain vigilant against hatred, persecution and tyranny; and the Days of Remembrance have been set aside for the people of Kansas to remember the victims of the Holocaust, as well as to reflect on the need for respect for all peoples…”
Megan Felt was a high school student in Norm Conard’s class when her life was changed by Irena Sendler. Sendler was a Polish social worker who acted fearlessly in the midst the destructive and brutal years of the Holocaust.
In 1999, Felt and her classmates wrote the play “Life in a Jar” for a National History Day project. “Life in a Jar” is the story of Sendler, who risked her life repeatedly to rescue Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto by placing them in hiding. Those she saved would have been deported to Treblinka, a death camp.
Life stories of brave persons can transcend time and remind us of the persistent need to defend human rights and freedom. Felt said of Irena Sendler, “She challenged us to continue her story and inspire others. This is a tremendous but rewarding task we will all try to achieve for the rest of our lives.” By making it their life’s work to share the story of Sendler, Conard and Felt have found their way to make the world a better place.
Conard is now the executive director of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in downtown Fort Scott, Kansas. Felt is the program director. Conard and Felt work with educators around the world to help students conduct in-depth primary research while creating inspiring projects that share the stories of unsung heroes.
Kansas clergy, lawmakers and students will be participating in the service. Holocaust survivors, World War II veterans and second-generation sons and daughters will be recognized.
Online service is free and open to the public. Call 785-272-6040, Temple Beth Sholom, Topeka, for more information.
