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Phone (978) 373-3861 Fax (978) 373-7995 www.TempleEmanu-el.org |
Press Release
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Contact: Nancy LaFleur nancy@templeemanu-el.org Phone: (978) 373-3861 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: March 14, 2-13 |
Yom Hashoah Commemoration by Temple Emanu-El
“Night Words – A Midrash on the Holocaust”
Sunday, April 7th at 2:00 pm
at Cascia Hall on the campus of
A special Yom Hashoah Commemoration will be held by Temple Emanu-El of Haverhill, MA on Sunday April 7th at 2:00 pm. “Night Words – A Midrash on the Holocaust” , written by David Roskies, will be presented by Temple Emanu-El Haverhill as a special Yom HaShoah Commemoration. The presentation will take place at Cascia Hall on the campus of
Night Words is a dramatic reading by 36 participants which takes about 90 minutes. Night Words brings together the boldest writings from rabbinic, medieval, and modern literary sources, dialogue, voices, questioning, and even orchestrated rage at the calamity of the Shoah.
For the reading, as the participants of the reading enter, they line up in a row and relinquish their shoes to the ushers. They then proceed to the “Place of Meeting” (within Cascia Hall) and are seated. There is music in the background and sufficient light to read by. A quorum for this service is 36 people, men, and young adults. Roles are distributed in advance and require no prior preparation. Each participant receives a text of the service from which they read. Non-reading attendees are seated around the hall.
The play is oriented toward adults and older children.
The reading has a basis in a millennial-old Jewish legend that there are 36 righteous people on earth, called Lamed Vavniks, unknown to others and themselves unaware of their mission. No Lamed-Vav knows who the others are. In fact, they often do not know that they themselves are a Lamed-Vav. They lead challenging lives, taking upon themselves the sorrows of the world. When they are needed, they perform acts of kindness, charity, bravery – and then immediately return to their ordinary lives, without the realization that they have just accomplished an act that has caused the Divine to manifest in the world.
The 36: Story-teller; Historian; Rabbi; Messenger; Judge; Clerk; Teacher; Soldier; Prophet; Clown; Abraham; Nurse; Isaac; Tailor; Dreamer; Mystic; Investigator; Philosopher; Magician; Barber; Scribe; Mute; Musician; Child; Cobbler; Carpenter; Counsel for Defense; Witness; Woman; Doctor; Painter; Singer; Citizen; Poet; School Girl; Hazan (Cantor).
Attendees are requested to rsvp nancy@templeemanu-el.org or call 978-373-3861.
The Adult Education Committee of Temple Emanu-El is sponsoring the commemorative reading.
All Temple Emanu-El Adult Education programs are free and open to the public. Visit www.templeemanu-el.org.