The following announcement was provided by the Mount Auburn Cemetery:
On Friday, August 15, Mount Auburn Cemetery will host Branches of Hope: Reflecting on the Past, Healing for the Future, a reflective, cross-cultural evening marking the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and the end of World War II. Through art, remembrance, and quiet contemplation, the event invites the public to reflect on the costs of conflict and the enduring human pursuit of peace.
The program will include a keynote by Cannon Hersey, filmmaker and cultural organizer, and grandson of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Hersey, whose landmark 1946 book Hiroshima brought the voices of atomic bomb survivors to a global audience. Hersey is also currently producing a feature film inspired by his grandfather’s work, titled What Divides Us, set to begin production in 2025.
“Eighty years after my grandfather, John Hersey, gave voice to the survivors of Hiroshima, their stories still feel deeply urgent,” said Cannon Hersey. “At a time when conflict is once again shaping so much of the world, we need spaces that invite us to reflect — not just on the past, but on what peace could mean today. I’m grateful to be having that conversation in a place like Mount Auburn, where memory, community, and creativity come together to help us hold the weight of history and imagine something better.”
Mount Auburn Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark and America’s first rural cemetery, has long served as a sanctuary for memory, civic dialogue, and public gathering. Branches of Hope continues this legacy at a time when war, migration, and uncertainty are once again central to the global consciousness.
“Mount Auburn was founded nearly two centuries ago as a place to celebrate life, and inspire reflection through its landscape,” said Matthew Stephens, President & CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery. “That vision continues today, not only in how we honor those who came before us, but in how we welcome the living as we reimagine what cemeteries can become. As the weight of conflict settles once more into our collective awareness, this event invites our community to pause, to gather, and to imagine how timeless values might carry us forward in a fractured world.”
Branches of Hope will take place on Friday, August 15, 2025, at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The evening begins with a free public program from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, featuring Japanese-inspired music and dance, a Ginkgo tree presentation, and remarks from Mount Auburn President & CEO Matthew Stephens.
Immediately following, a ticketed portion of the evening runs from 6:30 to 9:00 PM, and includes light refreshments, a Japanese-themed art exhibit, and a keynote lecture offered both in person and virtually. Featured speakers include Cannon Hersey, filmmaker and grandson of Hiroshima author John Hersey; Akira Fujimoto, contemporary Japanese artist; and Koko Kondo, peace advocate and Hiroshima bombing survivor.
Advance registration is encouraged. Full program details and RSVP information can be found at https://mountauburn.org/event/branches-of-hope/
For more information about the event, including sponsorship opportunities and ticketing, \ contact Mount Auburn Cemetery Director of Events Kara O’Brien at kobrien@mountauburn.org.
About Mount Auburn Cemetery
Founded in 1831, Mount Auburn Cemetery was envisioned as a place where beauty, memory, and reflection would coexist in a thoughtfully designed landscape. Nestled between Cambridge and Watertown, it became the first rural cemetery in the United States and remains a National Historic Landmark. From its earliest days, Mount Auburn welcomed all — regardless of religion or race — and served as a place to honor the lives of Boston’s “great and good,” while offering solace and inspiration to the living. Nearly 190 years and more than 100,000 burials later, we continue to honor that founding vision by offering burial space and end-of-life services, preserving our landscape of memory, and welcoming more than 140,000 visitors each year. For more information, visit www.mountauburn.org.