AUGUSTA — The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine will present its annual Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Day of Remembrance program, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at the Michael Klahr Center on the campus of the University of Maine at Augusta, according to a news release from the Holocaust center.

The program will feature a viewing of “No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank’s Story.” The 80-minute film focuses on the efforts of Anne’s father, Otto Frank in the years leading up to the Nazi occupation of Holland. Otto exhausted every opportunity to gain visas for his family to escape to America, but was turned away repeatedly. No Asylum is a call to action for tolerance and respect.

Following the film, the center will welcome two guests from Refugee and Immigration Services of Catholic Charities Maine: Program Director Hannah DeAngelis and Hamet Ly, on-site supervisor at the Portland Office. They will discuss the current challenges and opportunities for asylum seekers in Maine.

In addition, the program will feature remarks by weaver Barbara Burns, of Cundy’s Harbor, whose tapestry Homage to Anne Frank is hanging at the Klahr Center in honor of the event.

Yom HaShoah will begin with a brief ceremony of remembrance led by Rabbi Lisa Vininkoor of Beth Israel Congregation in Bath, the Rev. Carie Johnsen of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta, and the Rev. Francis Morin of St. Michael’s Catholic Parish in Augusta. They will be joined by Robert Gersh, from Beth Israel Congregation in Bath, who will serve as cantor for the ceremony, according to the release.

The center also is presenting an exhibit focusing on the plight of migrants in the Arizona desert. Along the Migrant Trails is a collection of items left in the desert by migrants that were collected by volunteers who scour the desert looking for sick and injured people, while also leaving water and food. Since 2008, the remains of more than 3,000 individuals have also been found in the desert. The exhibit will be on display through May.

Yom Hazikaron L’shoah V’l’giborah, or Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, takes place on the 27th of Nisan. It is often known simply as Yom HaShoah; “shoah,” Hebrew for destruction, is another name for the Holocaust. The day commemorates the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust. Memorials and vigils are held around the world in honor of the Holocaust victims. The U.S. Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust, according to the release.

The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, visit hhrcmaine.org or call 621-3531.

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