Holocaust Remembrance

Continuing its annual tradition of support, 10 members of Jesuit High School's Key Club served as ushers and participated in the candle lighting ceremony honoring survivors of the Holocaust during a special event at the Italian Club in Ybor City on Sunday (Jan. 21).

The event is held each year by the Consular Corps of Tampa Bay on or near Jan. 27, which is recognized by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is estimated that between 1933 and 1945, more than 11 million were murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. Approximately six million of these were Jews.

Representing Jesuit and the Key Club at Sunday's ceremony, at which Holocaust survivors shared their stories, were (L-R in the homepage photo) Key Club president Kyle Erickson '18, Sean Doherty '20, Jack Cullaro '18, Bryce Connolly '18, Trace Nuss '19, Matthew Slowey '20, Michael Lennartz '18, Tommy Pham '18, Austin Covelli '18, and Ethan Sutton '18.

Also representing Jesuit on Sunday were Key Club moderators Amy Martin and Lauren Hescheles, and school president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. 

The MacDill AFB Color Guard and the Jesuit students initiated the candle lighting ceremony. The students brought a candle to each Holocaust survivor, with the lighting of the candle representing one of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Survivor Betty Grebenschikoff delivered a moving keynote address. She spoke about how her family was forced to flee to Shanghai, China in 1939 when her childhood was shattered by Nazi violence against Jews. Japan occupied the Chinese regions and her family was placed in a ghetto camp, until American forces freed the area from the confinement.

View photos from Sunday's International Holocaust Remembrance Day event below.