Join HMTC on Erev Yom HaShoah for “Medicine and Morality: Lessons from the Holocaust and COVID-19,” presented by The Miller Center for Community Protection & Resilience, Rutgers University, International March of the Living and Maimonides Institute for Medicine, Ethics and the Holocaust, in cooperation for the USC Shoah Foundation.

The active participation of the medical community - those who took an oath to “first, do no harm,” in the labeling, persecution, and mass murder of millions of those deemed unfit, represents one of the darkest periods not only in the history of medicine, but in the history of humankind.

Yet, even in the darkest times, one can always find the light. Stories of physicians who remained dedicated to healing and saving lives prove that the power and privilege of medicine can be an inspiration to us all.

This past year has found our society faced with unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. The lessons of the Holocaust have informed our current situation as we struggle to meet this challenge in the most ethical way possible. This Holocaust Remembrance Day, we look to medicine and morality as a way to reflect on the past and protect the future, while appreciating the miraculous work of our healthcare professionals during this global pandemic.

“Medicine and Morality: Lessons from the Holocaust and COVID-19” will include internationally known scholars discussing the nexus between medicine, ethics and the Holocaust, and how lessons learned from the past have been incorporated into the handling of the current pandemic. The program will also include testimony from Holocaust Survivors and stories of healthcare professionals whose lives have been shaped by the Holocaust.

MOTL is proud to announce the presentation of the Moral Courage in Medicine Award to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to US President Biden. Dr. Fauci, who exemplifies the themes of morality and medicine in times of crisis, will be offering his acceptance remarks as part of the program.

The program will also feature a special performance by Miri Ben-Ari, a Grammy-Award winning violinist/producer/humanitarian, “United National Goodwill Ambassador of Music,” and third generation to Holocaust Survivors. Originally from Israel, Miri has created her own unique music: a revolutionary fusion of classical, Hip-Hop, soul and dance. She is also the CEO and Founder of Gedenk, an organization dedicated to promoting Holocaust education to youth.

Visit https://www.motl.org/medicine/ for information about how to stream the program live on Facebook or Youtube, or watch on JBS-TV.

Join this global campaign by pledging to Keep The Light On in your Houses of Worship, institutions and private homes on the night of November 9th.

“Let there be Light” is a global campaign of unity based on the premise of encouraging all to unite in solidarity against bias, bigotry, antisemitism, racism, hatred and intolerance. March of the Living is inviting individuals, institutions and Houses of Worship across the world to keep their lights on during the night of November 9th, as a symbol of solidarity and mutual commitment in the shared battle against the darkness of hate.

Additionally, people from all over the world will be able to add their voice to the campaign. Individuals of all religions and backgrounds are invited to write personal messages of hope in their own words on the campaign website. Beginning November 2, 2020, enter your pledge by visiting www.motl.org/let-there-be-light.

The main synagogue in Frankfurt, one of the few not destroyed on Kristallnacht, will be illuminated as well as other places of religious and spiritual significance across the world. Personal messages and prayers from the virtual campaign will be projected on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Against the backdrop of rising intolerance, bias, antisemitism and racism, these individual expressions of optimism and unity will help illuminate the world against darkness and hatred.

For more information contact Andrea Bolender at (516) 571-8040.

As part of the Let There Be Light initiative HMTC is going to fill the amphitheater in the Children’s Memorial Garden with candles! Donate in memory of someone to sponsor a light in the garden on November 9!