Yom HaShoah has always been a meaninful day for my family and me. As the proud granddaugther of Holocaust survivors, I would always go up with my family to light a candle in honor of my grandparents and in memory of our family who did not survive. I have vivid memories of our annual Yom HaShoah service and this year I was fortunate to participate in 3 meaningful Yom HaShoah services in Boston.
On Saturday night, April 30th, I attended a Yom HaShoah Havdalah service co-sponsored by Boston 3G and the Riverway Project. Miss Massachusetts, Loren Galler Rabinowitz, a 3G herself, spoke about her family and the impact the Holocaust has had on her life. Rabbi Matt Soffer led a spiritual Havdalah service and the event was both powerful and enjoyable.
On Sunday, May 1st, I attended two Yom HaShoah events. The morning began with the Community-wide Yom HaShoah ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial. The service was held outside on this beautiful day and the speakers, musicians and students were both moving and engaging. The survivors spoke of their experiences and the passing of the torch to the 2nd and 3rd generations and I felt proud to be a member of one of those organizations. To honor and memorialize the Holocaust, we, as the third generation, then took part in the Frozen Memorial. This event was a platform to explain that this day is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Participants froze in place for five minutes at 1:20 pm in memory of the 1.2 million Jewish children who were killed. Passersby asked many questions and we, as the third generation, were able to educate them on what this day means to us and educate them on the importance of remembering.
This weekend was a chance to remember, both on an intimate personal level and on a communal level as well. As the generation of survivors dwindles, it is events like this that keep their memories alive and it is my hope that we remember not just on Yom HaShoah, but throughout the year.
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