Days of Remembrance

With President Carter’s proclamation yesterday setting the tone of America’s commemoration for victims of the Holocaust, remembrances for the martyrs will be observed across the country for eight days this month at places of religious worship and by cities, states and Congress.

In his proclamation, issued on the 34th anniversary of the liberation of Dachou by American forces, Carter established April 28 and 29 as “Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust” in accordance with the resolution Congress passed last September. He also asked the American people to observe April 24 as “International Holocaust Day” — Yom Hashoah. The President’s Commission on the Holocaust, which he announced last Nov. 1, is coordinating the ceremonies for the remembrance and developing plans for a national memorial for the martyrs. Nationwide Memorial Ceremonies.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the services April 22 at Temple Emanu-El in New York City, according to Benjamin Meed, head of the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization, which has annually conducted the most extensive commemorations of the martyrs. The program will be the organization’s eighth at the temple. According to Meed, five blocks in the temple’s vicinity will be closed to traffic, bleachers will be erected near the temple and closed circuit television will bring the memorial programs to tens of thousands more people.

Also on April 22 in Philadelphia a memorial service will be held at the Monument to the Six Million Jewish Martyrs. More than 5000 people are expected at the service. Solomon Fisher, chairperson of the sponsoring Memorial Committee and president of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said that the City Council approved a resolution to rename the site of the service to “Avenue of Remembrance” from April 20 to 22.

Special sessions are planned for April 23 at state legislatures and proclamations are to be issued by governors and mayors of numerous states and cities, the President’s commission said. At noon April 24 the House and Senate will gather at the Capital rotunda for a ceremony of commemoration. Elie Wiesel, chairman of the Commission, will chair the event. A children’s choir will sing music of the Holocaust in Hebrew Yiddish and English.

The ceremonies will conclude April 29 at Washington Cathedral beginning at 11 a.m. Sen John Danforth (R. Mo.) will be the guest minister The Commission, which includes five Senators and five Representatives, will meet again during the ceremonial week to further plans for a permanent memorial to the Holocaust victims. At its previous meeting the Commission tended towards a museum in Washington with educational facilities to perpetuate understanding of the Holocaust.