Jewish Federation to honor World War II vets

World War II veterans will be among those honored at the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City's annual Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday at Oklahoma City University.

The ceremony also will, as in years past, honor the more than 6 million Jews and 5 million other victims of the Nazi regime, organizers said.

This year's special guests, World War II veterans, will join with Oklahoma Holocaust survivors as honorees, said Edie Roodman, the federation's executive director.

"We've heard from dozens and dozens from all walks of life and from many places and communities in Oklahoma," Roodman said of the veterans.

Roodman said many WWII veterans were liberators, the soldiers who liberated the Nazi concentration camps.

"We know they have precious few years remaining and it was incumbent on us to honor them for their service. For the remnants of the Holocaust, they were such a sight for sore eyes. We really needed to tell them how deeply we appreciate them."

'It's for everyone'
Cathy Pettijohn, the federation's director of Holocaust Education and Community Resources, said the ceremony is for the entire community.

"It's not exclusively Jewish -- it's for everyone," she said. "It shows that people care and it's about remembering the past and shaping the future."

Among those chosen to light a community remembrance candle is state first lady Kim Henry.

Hunter Scott of Minco will be among those serving as special escorts for Holocaust survivors who attend the ceremony. Scott wrote a narrative about the Warsaw Ghetto, the largest of the Jewish ghettos established by the Nazi regime, as a National History Day project. Pettijohn said groups participating in the event include the Marine Corps junior ROTC from U.S. Grant High School, the University of Central Oklahoma Battalion and ROTC and the Governor's Color Guard.