Holocaust Survivor Dr. Henry Fenichel is the featured speaker and the theme is "Marking the 70th Anniversary of Liberation" at the Governor's 35th Annual Holocaust Commemoration at the Holocaust & Liberators Memorial on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse, April 14, 2015.

Dr. Henry Fenichel was born in The Netherlands in 1938. Shortly after the Nazi rise to power, sensing the danger, Henry's parents sent a request for their relocation to Palestine where his father's family resided. After Henry's father was deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz and they still had no response to their request to immigrate, Henry and his mother went into hiding. When Henry was four years old, they were discovered hiding and were transported first to Amsterdam and in July 1943 to the Westerbork Detention Camp. Shortly after arriving, they learned of a prisoner exchange that would allow a select number of Jews to escape to Palestine. Through a miraculous series of events, Henry's mother was able to get them on the list. In June 1944, Henry, his mother and 220 other Dutch individuals left Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, eventually arriving to freedom in British Mandate Palestine.

Program participants:

Gov. John Kasich

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor

Bonnie Kantor-Burman, Director, Ohio Dept. of Aging

David Goodman, Director, Ohio Development Services Agency

Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, Speaker of the House

Sen. Keith Faber, Senate President

Rep. Alicia Reece, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus

Rep. Stephen Slesnick

Rep. David Leland

Rabbi Howard Zack

David Heller

Beth Wain Brandon

Rick Carne

John Youkilis

Bradley Kastan