A ceremony for the rededication of the Mercer County Holocaust/Genocide Resource Center was held Jan. 27 outside the center's new home on the second floor of the Mercer County Community College Library Building. The move followed a major college renovation project. Approximately 60 people gather for the event which was held on Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camps, the largest in Germany. Noted Dr. Paul Winkle, executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, the center's highly visible location and large glass windows will help further its message.

The ceremony opened with music by Dr. Tamara R. Freeman, who played melodies from the Holocaust's Jewish ghettos on a viola once owned by a Jewish musician in Germany.

Also participating was Rabbi Adam Feldman of the Princeton Jewish Center, who brought a historic Torah from his temple to the ceremony, reuniting it with one on permanent loan at the center. Both Torahs originated in Susice, a small Czechoslovakian town. In her remarks, MCCC President, Dr. Patricia Donohue, emphasized the relevance of the Holocaust's lessons today in places like Rwanda and Darfur. The center, she noted, plays a valuable role in teaching young people about the value of human life. Dr. Donahue invited the assembled guests to return often.

The ceremony concluded with a story by another survivor, Cantor David Wisnia. Imprisoned in Auschwitz for three years, he eventually escaped the Nazis during a death march and joined up with the U.S. infantry, where he fought as a machine gunner until the end of the war, eventually emigrating to America. Accompanied by Dr. Freeman, Wisnia performed the "Partisan's Song" in English and Polish.

With a mission to reduce prejudice and advocate for human rights for all people, the Mercer County Holocaust/ Genocide Resource Center houses educational materials for use by teachers throughout Mercer County who seek to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The center hosts annual workshops that draws approximately 100 educators each year. It is one of 24 such centers across the state. To learn more about the center and upcoming special events visit < a href="http://www.mccc.edu/holocaust" target="_blank">mccc.edu/holocaust