Almost half of MKs traveled to Auschwitz

The MKs at the entrance to Auschwitz yesterday.

Today (Monday) was the International Holocaust Remembrance Day: a delegation of 60 members of the Knesset, including four ministers, participated along with representatives of parliaments from the U.S., Canada and other countries at a special ceremony held in Auschwitz in memory of the victims.

Among those who travelled, are haredi MKs Yaakov Asher and Menachem Eliezer Moses of United Torah Judaism, and Ariel Atias, Yitzchak Cohen and Nissim Ze'ev of Shas.

The parliamentary delegation visiting the country, was joined by the Supreme Court justices and other distinguished personalities from the top of the state. In addition, the delegation was also accompanied by 24 Holocaust survivors and their families.

During the main ceremony which took place at the death camp, Noah Kliger, an Israeli Holocaust survivor spoke at the podium, and described to participants the atrocities he saw at the place where they were sitting. At the end of his speech Kliger drew a yarmulkah out of his pocket and blessed "Shehechiyanu" at being able to survive and return to tell about what happened there.

At the end of the ceremony, members of the Knesset marched towards the Birkenau Memorial site, where housing minister Uri Ariel said Kaddish, and then the prayer, 'Kel maleh rachamim' in memory of the victims. At the conclusion of prayers MK Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen blew the shofar.

Thereafter the chazan Chaim Adler sang "Kel maleh rachamim". Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Shudrich, read Chapter 42 of Tehillim. The joint prayer ended with the joint reading of representatives of all the various churches in Poland and the Chief Rabbi of Poland a Psalm in Polish.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!