The Christian Jewish Dialogue of Montreal (CJDM) will hold its 43rd annual Christian Commemoration of the Shoah on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. The host Congregation this year is the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul (3415 Redpath St., Montreal Qc, H3G 2G2). The theme is “You shall be holy…” This “in person” event will also be live streamed (https://www.standrewstpaul.com/#livestream).

This special Vesper service will bring together Jews, Christians, and others to commemorate the six million Jews and one million other victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah (“the annihilation” in Hebrew), during World War II.

Co-presided by Rev. Glenn Chestnutt and Rabbi Sherril Gilbert, the commemoration will include a testimony by Holocaust survivor Rachel Gropper. There will be also a candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of all the victims of the Shoah. Songs and music will be performed by a vocal Quartet (cantorial soloist Rona Nadler, Alexandra Asher, Kerry Bursey, and Dave Benson) and by Dr. Jonathan Oldengarm Director of Music and Organist.

Other Christian communities in Quebec and elsewhere are invited to commemorate the Shoah during their own religious services on May 1st. The CJDM has prepared for them resources which can be integrated into both in person or online worship. The resources are available on the websites of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul.

Yom Hashoah (“the Day of the Shoah”) was established in 1951 by the Knesset, the Parliament of Israel. In Montreal, the first Christian Commemoration of the Shoah took place at Christ Church Cathedral in 1979. Since then, different Christian churches have engaged with members of the Jewish community in a shared act of remembrance on the Sunday closest to Yom Hashoah. In 1999, the National Assembly officially recognized the observance of Yom Hashoah and invited Quebec citizens to share in the memories and mourning of the Jewish community and to ponder the lessons learned from the Shoah.

Founded in 1971, the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal is composed of representatives of various sponsoring organizations, who come together on a regular basis in order to build and strengthen mutual understanding and support between Christian and Jewish communities.