Saskatoon synagogue to hold Sunday Holocaust memorial service

For the first time in five years, Saskatoon’s Agudas Israel Synagogue will hold an in-person Holocaust memorial service on Sunday.

The annual ceremony was put on hold for building renovations, and then in 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s going to be a very special memorial for our congregation,” Rabbi Claudio Jovorkovsky said.

He said once a year, the congregation organizes an annual date when its members pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews during the Second World War by the Nazis and their collaborators.

“Every year we get together, we commemorate this day, and we listen to the testimonial of a Holocaust survivor,” he said.

This year, the guest speaker will be Sahbra Markus. She was among the youngest survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto, in occupied Poland, where her two brothers were murdered.

Jovorkovsky said Markus has a very impressive and moving story to share.

“She’s coming from Calgary to be with us, and she’s going to share her experiences with us … and how she was able to transform her difficult experiences,” he explained.

Jovorkovsky said there is still one Holocaust survivor left in Saskatoon who will be present and honoured during the service.

“I think it’s very important to listen to a story of persecution so we can learn the lessons of the Holocaust and from there we can work to be a better society,” he said.

The ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend.