A Survivor's Experience

Our sixth through twelfth grade students had the opportunity to participate in an impactful and moving program Monday in commemoration of Yom HaShoah. The program began with a poignant candle lighting ceremony, which was highlighted by six JKHAMS and RKYHS students sharing their families' personal narratives from their experiences in the Holocaust. Several students were accompanied by their grandparents, whose stories were being retold.

The highlight of the program was a presentation by Mrs. Tova Friedman, who was one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz; she was liberated at the age of only 6 ½.  Mrs. Friedman spoke of being cut off from her roots and family, the vacuum created by the murder of all Jewish leaders, her miserable life in the ghetto, and witnessing the shooting of her grandparents. One of the most chilling moments was when she described how she escaped the death march by laying down with her mother alongside corpses so the Nazis would not notice her when they evacuated the camp. She said her story is the story of 1.5 million children, and we have an obligation to learn it and repeat it.

As we reach a point in history when there are fewer survivors available to retell their story, the need for programs of this nature becomes increasingly important for our students!

Mrs. Friedman tells her story in the following news clip.