Temple Sinai in Sumter remembers lives lost in Holocaust with candlelight memorial

For the third year, Temple Sinai Jewish History Center in Sumter invited the community to light a candle on Friday, May 3, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The United States Holocaust Museum defines the years of the Holocaust as 1933 to 1945, with 6 million European Jews being killed during that time.

"You don't need to forget. You never need to forget," said Diana Roof, site manager of Temple Sinai Jewish History Center. Upon entering last Friday, Roof encouraged visitors to read the names of lost friends, family and loved ones.

Stopping through town to visit family at Shaw Air Force Base were Texas residents Pete and Janice Sanders. Originally visiting the center to view the traveling exhibit, the couple stumbled upon the candlelighting. Pete, having taught Holocaust studies for 15 years in Birmingham, Alabama, and visited Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, commented that their visit to the "stunning" Temple Sinai was one to remember and that more people should experience its history and its importance, especially given the state of the world.

"Even in today's information age, people who are Holocaust deniers just astounds me and appalls me," Pete said.

"What's happening around the country is appalling [to us]. The antisemitism is just scary, [and] considering what we're doing here today, it's like starting all over again if we're not careful," Janice said.

Which is why Roof continues to hold these memorial events, despite getting mixed attendance each year. For her and the Temple, it's about sharing Jewish history and ensuring that even on a local level, our community is educated and engaged.

"If you continue to remind people of the horror that's happened, it won't be repeated in the future," she expressed.