A special ceremony and service took place recently at the Jewish Community Center, Allentown, to remember the Holocaust and the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

The Yom Hashoah Commemoration began with the reading of the names of the victims and heroes of the Holocaust, including those who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Names of loved ones who were lost and who were relatives of community members were read by area students in the middle school and high school during a solemn ceremony an hour before the actual program began.

Memorial candles surrounding the room were lit by those in attendance.

Holocaust survivor Regina Brenner, then began the special ceremony with a reading and introductory remarks.

Mark Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, introduced Dr. Rachel Korazim, keynote speaker.

Born and educated in Israel, she travels the world as a Jewish educator.

Korazim is a consultant who specializes in curriculum development for Israel and Holocaust education.

She pointed out we remember the black-and-white photos of the concentration camp prisoners as they were freed by the allies.

Now, we have to remember those prisoners as they were before they were sent to the concentration camps.

We need to remember them in color, as they were, she explained.

"As they looked as children, as they looked when they were married and as they looked when they were happy," Korazim said.

She said when children in America come home from school, after missing breakfast and lunch, and say they are "starving," this is not starving as the Holocaust victims starved.

When the victims prayed, "give us this day our daily bread," they meant just that.

The Star Spangled Banner was led by Cantor Jennifer Duretz-Peled from Keneseth Israel Congregation.

A memorial reading was led responsively by Janice Mikofsky, Brayden Koch read in memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Rabbi Melody Davis from Temple Covenant of Peace of Easton, led the singing of the Partisans song, written by Hirsh Glik, a young Vilna poet.

The blessing of the memorial candles was introduced by Hannah Tamarkin.

Cantor Kevin Wartell from Temple Beth El led the singing of El Maley Rachamim and Rabbi Seth Phillips of Keneseth Israel led a prayer.

Students of Keneseth Israel led a responsive reading.

Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom sang the closing song, "Hatikvah," the Israeli national anthem.

At the end of the program, everyone was reminded that the Holocaust Resource Center of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is collecting names of the victims who have not been remembered.

The Shoah Victims Recovery Project is making sure all the 6 million lost are given names.

The survivors' database, including the children and grandchildren of survivors, needs to be updated, so no one will be forgotten. To contribute names, contact the Holocaust Resource Center at 610-435-3571 or hrc@jflv.org.