Free and open to the public: No tickets required
In his 2008 National Jewish Book Award-winning “The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest’s Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews,” Father Patrick Desbois documented for the first time the murder of 1.5 million Jews in the Ukraine during World War II.
Desbois will address the topic “A Voice of Conscience” as the featured speaker for the Tulsa Council for Holocaust Education and Tulsa City-County Library’s 21st Annual Yom HaShoah/Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration on Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at Tulsa Community College Southeast Campus, VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st St. The public is invited to the free presentation, which is recommended for ages 12 and older.
A Catholic priest and Vatican consultant, Desbois is founder and president of Yahad-In Unum. Through this international organization, Desbois has interviewed over 5,300 eyewitnesses of Jewish and Roma executions by Nazi mobile units at over 2,100 sites in Eastern Europe. Featured in several New York Times articles and on “60 Minutes,” Desbois’ devotion to Holocaust and genocide research is evident in his urgency to uncover the truth. Desbois' latest book "In Broad Daylight: The Secret Procedures Behind the Holocaust by Bullets" was published earlier this year.
At the commemoration, University of Tulsa composer Joseph Rivers, J. Donald Feagin professor of music and film studies, also will perform his original musical elegy inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s poem “Babi Yar.” After the commemoration, Desbois will sign copies of his books “The Holocaust by Bullets” and "In Broad Daylight." Copies of the books will be available to purchase at the commemoration, courtesy of Magic City Books.
The Holocaust Commemoration is sponsored by the Tulsa Council for Holocaust Education of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and the Tulsa City-County Library, in cooperation with dozens of local interfaith and community organizations. Father Desbois’ presentation was made possible thanks to a generous contribution from a local supporter of Holocaust education.
As in past years, the commemoration program includes an exhibit of artwork created by Tulsa area students of the Holocaust. In addition, there will be a candle lighting in memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust. Plus, the Tulsa City-County Library will have available for checkout many Holocaust books and media.
Contact the Jewish Federation of Tulsa at 918-495-1100 for more information about the commemoration.