Like Muster, the names of the deceased will be read aloud. But these names are attached to the victims of one of the greatest human tragedies in the history of mankind.
This week Texas A&M is paying homage to the lives that were taken during the Holocaust with Holocaust Remembrance Week.
Texas A&M Hillel, a Jewish organization, educates others about the Jewish religion. They organized Holocaust Remembrance Week to coincide with the U.S. National Holocaust Remembrance Day and Aggie Muster – both Tuesday.
“I think it is very important for students to participate in Holocaust Remembrance Week because this was a devastating period of time in which 6 million Jewish people and others were persecuted and massacred just because of their nationality or belief system,” said A&M Hillel’s President Mindy Prengler, a junior psychology major. “These were men, women, children, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, normal people that had their lives persecuted for no reason. We must always remember and never forget.”
Events started Monday with the reading of names of Holocaust Victims in Rudder Plaza. There will be a boxcar replica display at the entrance of the Memorial Student Center for the remainder of the week.
“The boxcar symbolizes the peoples’ departure to the concentration camps and walking into the boxcar people were separated from their family and friends to an unknown place,” Prengler said.
“[The events] bring the realities of the Holocaust to campus to educate students and faculty, so that we can all ensure that the tragedy of genocide never happens again to any people of any origin,” Dorshaw said.
“As Aggies we should all appreciate and tolerate one another’s backgrounds since we are a diverse campus,” Prengler said.
Holocaust Remembrance Week is sponsored by the Campus Ministry Association along with Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, Aggie Jewish Women, the Office of the Dean of Faculties and Multicultural Services. TAMU Hillel, the Office of the Dean of Faculties and Multicultural Services covered 100 percent of the costs associated with Holocaust Remembrance Week.
Holocaust Week events
Wednesday”The Boy in the Striped Pants” showing, 7 p.m. in MSC 206
ThursdayHolocaust concentration camp liberator W.T. Epperson will speak about his experience in the U.S. Army during World War II, 7 p.m. in MSC 206
FridayMemorial service for the Holocaust victims,7 p.m. at 800 George Bush Drive