If you have a large number of people, you can still do this ritual in a sanctuary with lecture-style seating.

Here are some suggestions:

• Have a few people lead and take turns reading. Invite members of the congregation to read from the bimah. Multiple voices add power to the story.
• Pass around as many of the symbols as are feasible (e.g., rosemary sprigs).
• For symbols and experiences that cannot be easily passed (e.g., spilling drops of wine), perform them on the bimah. Invite people from the congregation up for this purpose.
• Give the child’s drawing to someone in the congregation to keep safe.

Pulling out and separately adding sections of this ritual to another ceremony can add richness to that commemoration.

Some suggestions to use:

• Light from Darkness (especially the mismatched candlesticks)
• Resolve (especially Never Again)
• Awakening
• Peace and Justice

This ritual works remarkably well as an online program. You can see an example of that here. We recommend you give the following information to the participants:

This is an interactive program, including a variety of rituals that you can do at home. Here are some recommendations to get the most out of this program. If you can’t get these things, though, don’t worry about it. Just bring yourself.

We recommend that you gather these pieces so that you can partake fully in the ritual aspects of the program:

• Wine or grape juice
• Sweet tea (hot or cold)
• Bread

And any of the following that you have easy access to:

• Two candles on mismatched candlesticks
• A Yahrzeit candle
• A drawing made by a child (or someone) that represents Judaism or freedom
• Sprigs of rosemary or other fragrant herb
• Potato skins (rinsed and microwaved for 1 min)
• Bowls of salt water
• Unpeeled oranges or any fruit that has an outer covering that is bitter and inedible
• Fruits with pits – any fruit that has an inedible pit, such as whole olives or peaches

This ritual works as well in a home setting as in a community context.

For the best experience, follow it with dinner and discussion. Meal and recipe suggestions based on a cookbook from the Terezin Ghetto can be found on the recipe page. These recipes can anchor your commemoration in the lives and memories of those you are remembering.

While the current ritual can be used in an interfaith setting, we are in the process of developing a ritual specifically aimed at an interfaith audience. Contact us if you are interested in this alternative.