As YOC students walked the hallways, they noticed thought-provoking quotes and critical questions related to Yom HaShoah. The school gathered in the MPR during the morning for an assembly organized by the grade 11s. Aaron Rosenfeld opened the assembly, asking those who have descended from survivors to stand. The majority of the school stood as Aaron emphasized the importance of our continued existence as a testament to the strength of the Jewish people. Rabbi Spitz then led the school in a Kel Male. Kobi Moll then spoke about this year being the 70th year since liberation – and the importance in trying to live up to “never again” in a time with continued antisemitism and human rights violations in many part of the world. Sammy Newman, Shlomo-Eli Schweitzer and Ari Fingerote then introduced the speaker and spoke about some of the relevant history. The school was addressed by Mrs. Magda Hilf. Mrs. Hilf was born in Czechoslovakia, in an area occupied by the Hungarians during the beginning of the war years. After the Nazis entered Hungary in 1944, Mrs. Hilf was deported to Auschwitz. She spoke about her challenges there – losing her immediate family members and being mistreated by the guards. She moved to Canada in 1953 and started speaking about her experiences 20 years ago. Students really appreciated her sharing her story with us and asking her thoughtful questions afterward. Mrs. Hilf commented on how impressed she was with the students. Click here to watch her presentation.
Thank you to the grade 11s and Mr. Lazar for organizing the program, as well as Josh Mayer and Ezra Berman for helping with the speaker.
Yom Hashoah conversations and learning continued at mishmar, with various sessions focusing on different Shoah-related topics.
