OXFORD — The Oxford community gathered on Wednesday, Jan. 28, for a powerful and deeply moving program featuring Mrs. Sora Vigorito, the youngest known survivor of Dr. Josef Mengele’s twin experiments at Auschwitz.

Mrs. Vigorito began her visit with an address to students and faculty at Oxford High School, where she shared her firsthand testimony with grades 9–12. Speaking directly to the next generation, she urged students to remember the lessons of history and to recognize the devastating consequences of hatred and intolerance. Students listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions, and expressed deep engagement with her story.

Dr. Ralph Marino, superintendent of Oxford Public Schools reflected on the lecture. “During the presentation to the students and staff at the high school, you could have heard a pin drop. Sora’s vivid and harrowing depiction of her time at the camp brought the audience from an intellectual understanding to an emotional connection with the speaker. Her first-hand account, while heartbreaking, drove home the reality that hate has no place in our society.”

Later that evening, a community-wide event drew approximately 450 attendees at the high school auditorium. The program was emceed by Mrs. Hadassa Hecht, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Oxford. Community greetings were delivered by Oxford High School Principal Heather O’Brien and Oxford First Selectman George Temple.

The evening included a stirring video presentation of the melody “Ani Maamin,” followed by a moving cantorial rendition by Cantor Bill Squires.

Mrs. Vigorito then delivered her deeply personal testimony, recounting how she and her twin sister hid during the Holocaust, were ultimately deported to Auschwitz, and were subjected to inhumane experiments under Josef Mengele. She shared the tragic loss of her twin sister, Hanna, who died in her arms shortly before liberation. Despite the unimaginable trauma she endured, Mrs. Vigorito spoke about her resilience, her faith, and the strength that enabled her to rebuild her life, marry, and raise a family.

The atmosphere was both solemn and powerful, carrying a palpable sense of purpose and recognition of the pressing importance of Sora’s message for today’s world.

At the conclusion of the program, Rabbi Shmaya Hecht, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Oxford, introduced the One Mitzvah Campaign, encouraging participants to transform the evening’s emotion and inspiration into meaningful action by committing to take upon a good deed.

The event, sponsored by Chabad Jewish Center of Oxford and Oxford Public Schools, served as both a tribute to Holocaust remembrance and a call to moral responsibility, ensuring that the lessons of history continue to inspire compassion, unity, and positive action.