University of Denver Sponsors Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week April 7 – 12

Events of remembrance and intercultural dialogue hosted by Never Again! and Center for Judaic Studies; engaging DU’s new Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site

DENVER (April 8, 2013) — The University of Denver’s student group Never Again!, partnering with the Center for Judaic Studies (CJS), is taking part in the nationally acknowledged Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week, April 7 – 12, by sponsoring a week-long series of events designed to honor the past and to raise social consciousness and inspire action in the present. Many of the events will take place at DU’s new Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site.

Below is a partial list of the events. A complete list of activities can be found on the “DU Never Again” page on Facebook. For a list of volunteer opportunities, visit the Center’s site at www.du.edu/cjs.

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, beginning at NOON, Driscoll Lawn: FIELD OF FLAGS: A visual representation of those killed in the Holocaust from every population. Every flag approximates 5,000 deaths. These flags will remain on the lawn for the entire week.

MONDAY, APRIL 8, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site: LITANY OF NAMES: Throughout the day, volunteers will read the names of those lost during the Holocaust.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 6:15 p.m., Davis Auditorium: TEACH-IN ON GLOBAL CREATIVE COLLABORATION featuring Grammy-winning music producer and founder of the Playing for Change Foundation, Mark Johnson.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 7 p.m., Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site: INTERFAITH CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY: Ceremony to recognize those that have been lost and ways we can be socially active in the future.

NOTE: Sunday, April 28th marks the completion of construction of DU’s Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site, a collaborative effort between University Architect Mark Rodgers and noted landscape architect Spencer Nickel of Five Design. The outdoor site – featuring a sculptural bench, lattice work and partitions that spell out the Hebrew word “hineni,” which translates to “Here I am,” a Jewish phrase in post-Holocaust philosophy that signifies an ethical call to action – is located on the DU campus and is designed to be a regional hub for public good gatherings around learning, intercultural bridge-building, and social justice.