The Reading of the Names

     I do not recall being at any pre- 911 holocaust memorial ceremony that actually read an extended list of names of people who perished. I remember seeing lists of people who were murdered and hearing individual accounts , but never a whole reading of names of those who were lost. Maybe it was done before but I never noticed. I have noticed that at the JCC in Manhattan they will be reading names of those who were murdered during the shoah. I think that this is meaningful. I find it meaningful to hear the reading of the names of those who died during 9/11 at the  9/11 memorial every year. I admit that I don't usually listen to all of the names being read, but I guess that this is the point. So many were lost that its difficult to listen to all of the names being read . During a holocaust memorial there are even more names to be read. And those are just the names we are aware of .