Virginia Holocaust Museum will honor Holocaust victims during Sunday ceremony

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond is hosting its annual day of remembrance on Sunday, honoring the millions of Holocaust victims who died during World War II.

The free memorial, "Yom HaShoah ceremony," will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, at 2000 E. Cary Street.

The event will feature the lighting of the Holocaust Memorial Candles by Richmond families of survivors, the awarding of the Carole Weinstein Prizes for Tolerance and Justice in the Visual Arts and a keynote address by Ambassador Dennis Ross, the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

According to a release from the museum, Ambassador Ross helped shape U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, and will discuss the impact of international conflicts as Americans see a spike in antisemitism.

"Through the permanent exhibits, educational programming, and outreach, the museum employs the history of the Holocaust and other genocides to educate and inspire future generations of Virginians to fight prejudice and indifference," the release reads.

The museum said that the six Holocaust Memorial Candles at the ceremony are intended to represent the six million Jews who died. However, one of the candles will be shorter than the others, which will signify the 1.5 million children killed.

The Virginia Holocaust Museum previously opened two exhibits prior to Sunday's memorial: the Children’s Memorial and Dimensions in Testimony.

For more information, visit the museum's website.