Brotherhood Wins Special Award

This article first appeared in our Nov/Dec'25 edition of The Bulletin

For nearly four decades, the Capital Region Yom HaShoah Candle Distribution Project has ensured that close to 2,000 Jewish households annually receive a yellow candle to light on Holocaust Remembrance Day. This powerful symbol affirms the communal vow: “We will never forget.” Sustained by volunteers from Brotherhoods and Men’s Clubs across the region, it has grown into a vital tradition that educates and unites generations.

The project began in the late 1980s when Brotherhood leaders realized the collective power of working together, ensuring every Jewish home could participate in honoring the six million lives lost. Today, this highly coordinated, grassroots effort distributes nearly 2,000 candles across four counties using roughly 100 delivery routes. The annual operation relies on over 80 volunteers for delivery and countless others for data management, logistics, and a communal Assembly Night. This massive effort relies entirely on the cooperation and trust of multiple congregations working as one.

The project demonstrated remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent logistical hurdles, quickly pivoting to implement “touchless” deliveries and finding creative solutions to distribution challenges. This flexibility has proven that adaptability keeps the flame alive.

In Summer 2025, the project was recognized nationally when the Men of Reform Judaism (MRJ) presented it with the prestigious J. Robert Arkbush Award for outstanding social action/interfaith programming.

The project continues its sacred commitment, prioritizing memory and community over fundraising. It is about standing together as one Jewish community to say: “Never Forget.”

Mazal tov to Brotherhood on this achievement!