Yom HaShoah at RYNJ took on great meaning on many levels as each division participated in age-appropriate activities to commemorate this powerful day of remembrance.
Fourth and fifth-grade students were introduced to the number six million, its enormity, as well as the importance of each individual. Using the concept drawn from the film “Paper Clips,” each student was given a blank sheet of paper and traced a paper clip multiple times within a five-minute span.
After calculating how many clips they had traced, the children figured out how many pieces of paper they would need with traced paper clips to reach the number six million. Students then assembled in a circle and connected the paper clips to each other to form a chain.
A discussion was conducted to highlight the importance of each link in the chain and how every Jewish person is an important link in our chain.
In the RYNJ middle school, students were enthralled by a captivating presentation by Mrs. Susan Dworken-Koss that focused on two particular heroes who survived the Holocaust. Taking the students through mesmerizing stories that led up to the war, through the destruction of the war itself and then their rebuilding, Mrs. Dworken-Koss highlighted the inner-strength, determination and courage that these heroes and others like them demonstrated at a time of utter horror. With pictures displayed as she spoke, she revealed to the students, at the very end, that the two heroes she spoke of were her beloved parents. With awe and astonishment, our students walked away very moved by two stories that personified an era of countless heroes and giants.
After the presentation, students were encouraged to think of the heroes in their lives and add their thoughts of appreciation to a Board of Light. A bulletin board covered with black background and yellow border displayed the title, “Just a Little Bit of Light Pushes Away a Lot of Darkness (Jewish Proverb).” Students had the opportunity to thank a classmate, teacher, parent or other family member on a yellow Post-It, and “adding their light” to the darkness. By the end of the day, the darkness disappeared, and the entire board was filled with the light of gratitude and positivity that was generated by the students.
Finally, the eighth grade had the privilege of visiting the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in Manhattan, where they had the opportunity of hearing about many of the artifacts from the survivors themselves or their family members. As they passed from one artifact to another and heard one story after another, the students were taken back in time and walked away from the museum with a deeper sense of appreciation for a generation of truly remarkable heroes.
