We remember, mourn and celebrate. Together.
- Stephanie Ives
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
We returned from Pesach break yesterday and jumped right back into the annual "Jewish Memory Season." This is a term I learned from my husband Yehuda to describe the quick succession of holidays that overtake Jewish day schools every year when we move from remembering our slavery in Egypt on Pesach, to remembering the Holocaust on Yom Ha'Shoah, to remembering our fallen soldiers and victims of terror on Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day. These are not the easiest memories to share as adults, let alone children, even during "normal" times. Observing Yom Ha'Shoah with young children is delicate and requires a high level of intentionality and planning, all guided by an understanding of child development. When approaching the Shoah, we strive to convey the magnitude of the tragedy, a sense of personal connection to the suffering of our people, and a belief in the ability of individuals to save whole worlds. We do not use fear as a strategy to convey any of these messages. Instead, we do this by focusing on memory, remembering the stories of pre-war life in Europe and the individual people who perished and survived. Yesterday, we played this memorial slideshow on a loop in the Middle School hallway, honoring the memory of Beit Rabban ancestors who died in the Shoah. Today, our fourth through eighth-grade students learned from Ellen Bari, curator of the new Courage to Act: The Story of Denmark's Jews at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the story of one of the most effective and exceptional instances of mass resistance in modern history. Next week, we will commemorate Yom Ha'Zikaron and honor the memory of those who have died in Israeli wars and terrorist attacks. We approach with care as well, recognizing the service and sacrifice of soldiers who have been killed in battle to protect our homeland while also trying to avoid glorifying or simplifying war. We try to cultivate a connection to and appreciation of those who died in battle and acts of terror, without inadvertently leading our children to believe that all their Israeli family members and friends are in imminent danger. Like on Yom Ha'Shoah, we particularly remember family members and friends of Beit Rabban community members. Unfortunately, we have added quite a few more since the last Yom Ha'Zikaron. Needless to say, these are not "normal" times, and balancing these educational goals is even more difficult. Today, Jewish suffering does not need to be taught in the context of history because the present is sufficiently terrifying. Antisemitism cannot be confused with a thing of the past. The basic physical safety of people who live in Israel is hard to take for granted. Our children have seen and heard much we wish they had not taken in. And they know that the children of Israel and Gaza continue to suffer in unimaginable ways. This year and last, there has been a part of me that wants to skip the sad memories and avoid our painful history. The pain and suffering exist now; we don't need to make it worse by looking back. In fact, shouldn't we try to protect our children from this pain rather than acknowledge it? But we teach the history of our people for a reason, and that reason is no less resonant this year, even if the history itself is more triggering. An important reason to teach history is to help children contextualize themselves in a vast and ongoing story. Life existed before us and will continue after us. In the context of Jewish history, we also learn a lot about miracles and survival against all odds. We learn that courageous human beings have, time and time again, been able to reroute the future and achieve the impossible, just as Ellen taught us today. To use a phrase from our Facing History and Ourselves eighth-grade curriculum, "People make choices, and choices make history." This is the case for the betterment of the world just as much as it is for the world's detriment. We hope that learning about and honoring Jewish history, including the saddest of periods, helps our children understand themselves as part of resilient and strong people who have the power to care for themselves and the power to care for the larger world we inhabit. We have worked hard to convey this over the past week and will continue next week. And then, we will pivot toward celebration as well when we cross over from Yom Ha'Zikaron to Yom Ha'Atzmaut, from next Wednesday to next Thursday. With the reality of ongoing war, hostages still in captivity, and so many civilians living through unimaginable suffering, we are choosing a somewhat muted celebration as we did last year. At the same time, we have a long tradition of sticking with our holidays even in the darkest times. Some of us may feel an extra need to celebrate Israel loudly and proudly this year, recognize our good fortune in having a homeland and honor Israelis' incredible resilience. Others of us may struggle to celebrate when so much is broken, even in our homeland. We are trying to do both, with an emphasis on the brokenness on Wednesday and a focus on the gratitude and celebration on Thursday. There are many opportunities to share the rollercoaster of emotions next week will bring. The anchor of community is especially critical in these times of mourning and times of celebration. Please take a look at our schedule below and join if you can to enhance the communal experience overall. In the meantime, we send a virtual embrace to our whole community as we navigate Jewish Memory Season. This year, on Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, when we remember both collective suffering and individual lives lost, it is essential to emphasize the countless acts of bravery and kindness that are part of this history. The courage and wisdom that have changed the course of history are also present today. We must remember, and we must continue to believe and have the "courage to act." |
Upcoming Yom Ha'Zikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut Events
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