Yom Ha Gvurah Experience

1479 Words3 Pages

I attended the Yom HaShoah v’ Ha’Gvurah; The Day of Remembrance of Destruction and Heroism. This event was held at Congregation Beth Israel and was open for the whole community. When I entered through the doors, I was given the opportunity to take a rose and lay it at the front of the church, on the steps leading to the alter. I took the rose and later found out that the roses symbolized the many deaths from the Holocaust as well as the hope that is reborn from the stories of the survivors. The church itself looked more like an auditorium or theater. There was a stage up the front with a pulpit on the right side. The rest of the church was filled with seats that picked up when we stood. I noticed that the space was created at an angle. The …show more content…

A Rabbi went up and gave a brief welcome speech and after that, six different people were escorted by different Rabbis to the stage. The individuals who came on stage were either Holocaust survivors or children of Holocaust survivors. They each said a few brief words and then lit a candle. I’ve read articles about the Holocaust and have had history lessons on it, but hearing words spoken about it from people who have lived through it, it was a completely different experience. It made it so real. Plus, it was my first time hearing about the Holocaust from someone who has had first-hand experience with it. That changed everything. After the second person sharing, I had tears rolling down my face. The pain of having their families killed and taken away, I couldn’t imagine the agony of what they went …show more content…

It makes it a challenge to fit in and do every day activities. For this woman though, it’s a little easier because she teaches at a Jewish school and is surrounded by a Jewish community on a daily basis. What makes it a challenge is all the doors and windows at the church (the place she works at) are bullet proof. When someone comes knocking, they always ask who it is before opening the door. Just always being aware and cautious is something the woman said she lives with. It’s something she got used to and does her best to not let this affect her. Other than that, she loves being a Jew and believes it’s easy. For her, this religion is all about love and good intentions. She has no right to judge or point fingers and that makes her life really

Open Document