SOLON, Ohio —
With the beginning of Yom HaShoah tonight, a Solon High School senior wants to bring increased awareness to Holocaust Remembrance Day with the help of technology.
From sundown on Wednesday to sundown on Thursday, people of all faiths are encouraged by high school student and app developer Easton Singer to honor the memory of the six million Jewish people killed by Nazi soldiers in the Holocaust.
One way Yom HaShoah is observed is by lighting a candle, and Singer wants to make that option more accessible, so with the help of Susan Ringel of Fairmount Temple, he developed the Yom HaShoah Virtual Candle app.
"You don't have to be Jewish to download it," Singer told 3News. "Absolutely everyone should participate in remembering the Holocaust and you can do your part by lighting a virtual candle."
The app, available to download for free in the Apple App Store, is also a tool for teaching the lessons of the Holocaust, to all ages.
You can "light" it any time between 7 pm on Wednesday and 7pm on Thursday, including right at 7 pm on Wednesday if you choose. The virtual candle will appear to burn on your phone for 24 hours from whenever you first light it.
As the world marks Yom HaShoah, 3News is tracking a disturbing rise of antisemitism here in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
On the next Front Row: A Turning Point on Thursday at 7 pm on 3News, we look at concerns in our Jewish communities, and how education and awareness go hand in hand in stopping hate.
Watch on the WKYC app, stream for free on wkyc.com, and see it on the air on your television.