Memory & Legacy An Exhibit Telling the Story of the New Haven Holocaust Memorial

The opening reception for the Memory & Legacy traveling exhibit was held at the library on April 14th, 2011. The welcome was given by Fay Sheppard (below) of the Greater New Haven Holocaust Memory, Inc.
Ms. Sheppard spoke of the deaths of one and a half million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust.



East Haven's mayor, Mayor April Capone, shown below, spoke about the endurance of survivors. The traveling exhibit, depicting the story of the New Haven Holocaust Memorial, can be seen behind her.



Professor Ann Heekin, Director of Programs and Publications for the Center for Christian-Jewish understanding at Sacred Heart University, delivered an impassioned talk: Days of Remembrance 2011, Justice in the Face of Accountability: What have we learned? The Burden of Memory, The Blessing of Memory.

Professor Heekin spoke about the Days of Remembrance 2011, as marking three landmark mandates for justice after the Shoah- the 65th anniversary of the verdicts at the first Nuremberg trial (1945), the 50th anniversary of the trial of Adolf Eichmann (1961) and the 46th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church teaching that overturned Anti-Semitism.

She stated that the theme of this year's Holocaust commemoration, "Justice in the Face of Accountability" asks us to reflect on the question of "What Have we Learned?" Has the burden of the memory brought with it the blessing of the memory?

Prof. Heekin addressed that question in the light of the relations of Christians and Jews, before and after the Holocaust.


Professor Heekin

Stephen Ronai spoke about his experience as a survivor, seeing his grandmother taken from the family at a train stop.


Stephen E. Ronai, Esq.


Eileen DeMayo, head of the Hagaman Memorial Library Board, read the poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller-"First They Came for the Jews."


Mrs. DeMayo

The program continued with WW II veterans escorting Holocaust survivors to a table in which each survivor placed a white rose in remembrance of those who perished.






















(Above and below) WW II veteran, Judge Anthony DeMayo escorting Holocaust Survivor, Bina Fenig.





(Above and below) WW II veteran, George Barba escorting Holocaust survivor, Helene Rosenberg.



(Above) WW II veteran, Edward Misbach escorting Holocaust survivor, Edith Friedman.

(Above and below) WW II veteran, Martin Nobile escorting Holocaust survivor, Wolf Zelinger.



(Above) WW II veteran, Harry Maresca escorting Holocaust survivor, Dr. Ralph Freidman.

Colinette Gordon Compton shared childhood memories of growing up during World War II in her native town of Stone, England. An American Field Hospital was set up in the town of Stone, near Coventry, and for two years American servicemen lived in the town. She has happy memories of sharing the family home, and daily life, with six American Doctors, and their six aides.

She brought a large basket of chocolate candy to the meeting and said she was "giving back" for all the chocolate she received as a girl from American soldiers.

The presentation which accompanied her talk can be seen below: