This Wednesday, Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) was observed at Abrams in grades 5-8. It was especially meaningful to all of us due to the participation of Gizzy Kauf, a former employee at Abrams and a Holocaust survivor. Though Gizzy didn’t speak at the event, her mere presence gave our students the tremendous privilege of meeting and conversing with a survivor. Additionally, every Yom Hashoah, she wears a necklace she discovered in a coat lapel while sorting through the clothes in a labor camp. The original owner certainly did not survive, but her memory does through Gizzy.
After a few memorial prayers were said by Rabbi Leizerowski, the students watched a small portion of the Documentary “The US and the Holocaust” (highly recommended) which showcases the shortcomings of the United States and its policies during this most critical time to save Jews.
The program then ended with a Zoom guest Steve Some. Steve is a long-time friend of the school and a former member of the US Memorial Council (appointed by George Bush), who spoke about the importance of not just being a bystander.
It was an informative learning experience for the students.
