Whippany—On Monday, April 24, at 6:45 p.m., Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and the Kean University Holocaust Resource Center will host their Annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration.

This year’s interfaith Holocaust Remembrance program features speakers Irwin Cotler and Bernard and Henry Schanzer. The Honorable Professor Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C., is the chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, an emeritus professor of law at McGill University, former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, former member of parliament and an international human rights lawyer. He served as counsel to prisoners of conscience Andrei Sakharov and Nathan Sharansky (former Soviet Union), Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Jacobo Timmerman (Latin America) and Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim (Egypt), and was chair of the International Commission of Inquiry into the Fate and Whereabouts of Raoul Wallenberg. He is also the founder and past chair of Canada’s Interparliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism.

Bernard and Henry Schanzer are identical twins who were born in 1935 in Liege, Belgium. Their family fled to France in 1940. Their father was deported and murdered, but they found sanctuary with a grandmotherly righteous rescuer until they were ultimately reunited with their mother and sister. After immigrating to America and settling on the Lower East Side of New York City, their mother enrolled the boys in the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva. Eventually, Bernard became a neurologist and Henry became a patent attorney.

In addition to the distinguished speakers, the program will also include performances by two children’s choirs—the choir from PS12 in Elizabeth, led by Dr. Anna Kroik, and the choir from the Jewish Education Center (JEC) in Elizabeth, led by Chana Salamon; a candle-lighting service honoring survivors, descendants, liberators, righteous rescuers and educators; a performance by the chamber music group Radiance Ensemble; and a heartfelt rendition of the “Partisan Hymn” performed by a local men’s chorus.

The event takes place at Kean University’s Wilkins Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1000 Morris Ave. in Union. It is free and open to the public, though registration is strongly encouraged. To register online visit www.jfedgmw.org/kean.

For more information contact Jamie Carus at 973-929-3194 or [email protected].