Several Capitol Hill congregations will hold a Second Annual Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service on Sunday, April 11, 2010, at 4 PM at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 221 E. Capitol St., NE. The theme of this year's service is "The Choice of Courage" and will focus on those who rescued victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
A four part Lenten Film Series will precede the interfaith service and will feature four full-length films that depict courage in the face of genocidal violence. The entire community is invited to attend and participate in the interfaith service as well as each of the Sunday evenings throughout March from 6:30-8:30 PM. The film series includes:
March 7 - "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (PG-13)
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 4th St. and Independence, SE
When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno (Asa Butterfield) befriends Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a boy who lives on the other side of the fence, where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a dangerous journey inside the camp's walls.
March 14 - "The Nasty Girl - Das Schreckliche Mädchen" (PG-13)
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 3rd and A. St. SE
German high-schooler Sonya (Lena Stolze) decides to write an essay about her town's history during the Third Reich and its heroic resistance to Nazi tyranny. To her (and the town's) dismay, she instead uncovers evidence of collaboration with the regime. As she digs deeper, she must struggle against the vocal and violent opposition to her search for the truth. This provocative satire won a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
March 21 - "Last King of Scotland" (R)
Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, 421 Seward Square, SE
During an African medical mission in the 1970s, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) impresses brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker, in an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning role) by acting swiftly in a crisis and becomes the dictator's personal physician. Garrigan enjoys the perks of his new position, until he begins to become aware of Amin's inhumanity -- and his own complicity.
March 28 - "Weapons of the Spirit" (NR)
Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol St. SE
In this historical documentary, a small French village goes against the Vichy government by saving 5,000 Jews from falling into the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Director and narrator Pierre Sauvage's parents were among those who were hidden by the townsfolk. Newsreels show the persecution of Jews in Paris and other locales where over 75,000 were willingly handed over to the Nazis. The villagers interviewed believed it was "the normal thing to do" to risk their lives helping the viciously hunted people.
"The Choice of Courage" will conclude on April 11, 2010, at 4:00 PM and Lutheran Church of the Reformation with a Community Interfaith Yom Ha Shoah (Day of Holocaust Remembrance) Service led by the participating faith communities.
If you would like to help Capitol Hill, when we host the series on March 21, please contact the church office – 202-546-1000 or office@chumc.net. We look forward to reflecting with you.
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