Israel National News
by Shifra Hoffman
There is only one way to remember, says this activist writer.
This week, a special day known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been designated to pay tribute to the memory of millions of Jews brutally murdered by the Nazis who willingly carried out Hitler's depraved plan to implement the "final solution" of the Jewish people .
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While recognizing that such official observance is meant to educate the public about the Shoah, the unspeakable atrocity perpetrated upon East European Jewry only because they were Jews, to my mind there is one way to remember our
6,000,000 Kedoshim (Martyrs) - and that is by having a strong and secure State of Israel.
This gives true meaning to the words "Never Again"!
Therefore, forgive me if I am not impressed that the " before presenting his talk at a Synagogue in New York, when two days prior to his lecture, he roundly condemned Israel for building "settlements"
Similarly, I do not "shep nachas" (feel joy) when visiting dignitaries from foreign nations are brought to the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, and utilize this sacred site to compare Israel's treatment of the "palestinians" to Nazi Germany!
I have also long maintained that the yearly" should be abandoned as it succeeds in bolstering the coffers of many anti-Semites in Poland who believe the Holocaust was justified.
If, indeed, International Remembrance Day is geared to truly penetrate the collective psyche of the world, then the survival of Israel' the Jewish homeland, which with G-d's help was reborn after Auschwitz,. should be of paramount concern to the nations that instead consistently demonize Israel for for defending itself against its implaccable Arab enemies.
And--of utmost importance to memorialize the Holocaust, is for world Jewry to present a united front in support of the Jewish State!
It is incomprehensible and unconscionable that after one third of the Jewish people was decimated by Hitler's murderous beasts,..., today there are innumerable Jewish leftists that defend the Arab enemies who have instigated countless wars of agression as well as 'peace' time terror, and who openly call for the elimination of the Jewish State.!
Can the world remember the Holocaust if our own people contains renegade Jews who have seemingly forgotten the Crusades, pogroms, Inquisitions, and the horrendous Shoah?
In the final analysis, it is incumbent upon every Jew to truly comprehend the miracle of Israel's rebirth after two millenia of gentile persecution..
As anti-Semitism once again raises its ugly head , Diaspora Jewry would be wise to pick up, pack up and come home to build and settle everywhere in Eretz Yisrael.
Shevat 20, 5771 / 25 January 11
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Note: More information is listed on "Hillel-the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life"
Holocaust Remembrance, Israel Remembrance and Independence Days
The current conflict in the Middle East and preparing for Passover may be our top priorities right now but Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom HaZikaron/Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel Remembrance Day and Independence Day) are just around the corner. These occasions provide a tremendous opportunity to educate the campus community, and to engage large segments of the Jewish community.
Learn more about the Hillel Darmstaedter Holocaust Education Program >>
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- Programming Resources - Yom HaShoah
- Programming Resources - Yom Hazikaron
- Programming Resources - Yom Haatzma'ut
- Funding
Yom HaShoah
Often simply known as Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron L'Shoah U'Legvurah, or Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, takes place on the 27th of Nisan. "Shoah," Hebrew for destruction, is another name for the Holocaust. This day commemorates the Six Million Jews who died during the Holocaust. At the same time, it marks the anniversary of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. Jews around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting six candles in honor of the Six Million Holocaust victims. Many hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.
SHOAH (Students Helping to Organize Awareness of the Holocaust)
Often simply known as Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron L'Shoah U'Legvurah, or Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, takes place on the 27th of Nisan. "Shoah," Hebrew for destruction, is another name for the Holocaust. This day commemorates the Six Million Jews who died during the Holocaust. At the same time, it marks the anniversary of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. Jews around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting six candles in honor of the Six Million Holocaust victims. Many hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.
SHOAH (Students Helping to Organize Awareness of the Holocaust)
- SHOAH, Northwestern University's Holocaust awareness group, was created to increase awareness of the Holocaust and other related human rights issues on the Northwestern Campus and in the Evanston community. SHOAH accomplishes its goals by sponsoring and planning events, including speakers and ceremonies for Kristallnacht and Yom HaShoah. This past fall SHOAH created an art exhibit featuring concentration camp photographs and artwork by students and Philip Drell, the only Jewish member of the U.S. army's Elite Media Corps during WWII. In addition to providing photographs and artwork, students also contributed journal entries and descriptions of each of their photos. Mr. Drell and the student contributors presented their photographs and discussed their experiences with over 150 attendees. Based on the success of Northwestern's group, SHOAH groups have begun on several other campuses.
- Last year, Cornell University students planned a three-part Yom Hashoah program, starting with speakers and ending with a reading of names. The middle section, the candlelight vigil, can be easily replicated on any campus. The vigil began with an introduction from one student, and then nine more students spoke about a personal connection their family had to the Holocaust. Each of the nine students' names was connected to the family members who perished in the Shoah. Three of the nine also had special themes. One was for the next generation who will not be able to hear the words of survivors, one for non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and one for Righteous Gentiles. The evening ended with the reading of a poem, the singing of two songs, and HaTikvah.
Learn more about the Hillel Darmstaedter Holocaust Education Program >>
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Yom Hazikaron
Beginning at sundown on the 4th of Iyar, on this Memorial Day, we commemorate the soldiers who have fallen fighting for Israel's independence and defending her security. In Israel, a morning siren sounds and the country observes two minutes of silence; people stand in honor of those who died. This holiday's placement the day before Israel Independence Day (the 5th of Iyar) is intentional: The soldiers who give their lives were directly responsible for the existence of Israel as an independent state. In this way, a day of solemn commemoration can be followed by joyous celebration and song.
Yom Hazikaron Ceremony from the World Union of Jewish Students
Beginning at sundown on the 4th of Iyar, on this Memorial Day, we commemorate the soldiers who have fallen fighting for Israel's independence and defending her security. In Israel, a morning siren sounds and the country observes two minutes of silence; people stand in honor of those who died. This holiday's placement the day before Israel Independence Day (the 5th of Iyar) is intentional: The soldiers who give their lives were directly responsible for the existence of Israel as an independent state. In this way, a day of solemn commemoration can be followed by joyous celebration and song.
Yom Hazikaron Ceremony from the World Union of Jewish Students
- It is customary in many communities and in Israel to commemorate Yom HaZikaron with a ceremony. WUJS offers a sample ceremony which you can adapt to suit your campus. This can either be used for Yom HaZikaron exclusively, or it can be used for both Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut - in which case we recommend that you run this program at sunset, as Yom HaZikaron becomes Yom Ha'atzmaut. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs also offers readings and prayers.
