This past Monday, we commemorated Yom Hashoah, a day to honour the memories of those who perished in the Holocaust and those who survived, as well as a day to educate the next generation about the atrocities of the past in an effort to prevent them from ever reoccurring.
At 1:40 pm, all girl in Ulpanat Orot were directed to back staircase which was enshrouded in darkness and small flickering flames fought to make their statement in the darkness. As the student ascended the theme of the day, bravery, became immediatley apparent as multiple voices rang out with stories of those who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust. After everyone was seated, names and bios were read aloud about several people who perished but whose bravery remains in the legacy they left behind. The program continued with the recitation of several poems, intertwined with audio-visual presentations emphasising the need for bravery, both then and now. Then, our speaker, Mrs. Vera Gold, grandmother of our very own Rachel Gold, spoke about her experiences as a child survivor. The program concluded with a candle lighting ceremony, the recitation of E-l Malei Rachamim, a moment of silence and an inspiring schoolwide tefilat Mincha. The Grade 12 girls, lead by their dedicated and talented mechanechet, Mrs. Gemara, truly put in a lot of effort and sensitivity into this moving assembly that inspired all of those present.
After shacharit that morning, the boys were asked to reflect on the relevance and importance of continued Holocaust commemoration. Written reflections were collected throughout the morning. Grade 11 students ran the afternoon’s assembly, reading their own reflections on the importance of Holocaust commemoration, as well as reflections written by other students throughout the day. Rabbi Spitz recited the Kel Male, before Ani Maamin was played. The students also spoke about the continued search for evidence in the face of continued denial. This led into a video clip about recent excavations at Treblinka. Our survivor speaker was Mrs. Judy Lysy. After her powerful presentation at Ulpana during last year’s Yom Hashoah, Mrs. Lysy was an obvious choice for this year’s Or Chaim program. The boys were impressed with her clear descriptions and meaningful message. She spoke about her belief in God, what it was like to experience Nazi persecution as a young woman, challenges with returning to Czechoslovakia and being denied return to her own home, as well as her immigration to South America and ultimately Canada. Before finishing, Mrs. Lysy admitted that she had never spoken at an all-boys school and was thoroughly impressed with our boys attention during her speaking, as well as some of their questions afterward. Yasher Koach to the grade 11 students involved, led by Mr. Lazar and Akiva Buckman.
