RKYHS students commemorated Yom HaShoah in a variety of ways. As a partner in the Global Day of Testimony, moving interviews with survivors and noted Holocaust experts were streamed on the school’s Facebook page throughout the day. RKYHS participated in a selection of the programs, including a talk about the legacy of survivors by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

RKYHS faculty member and noted Holocaust scholar Rabbi Dr. Pecaric created a video lesson for students and parents to commemorate and learn about Yom HaShoah. Utilizing historical accounts, poems and personal reflections and readings from students, the remote opportunity connected them to the importance of Yom HaShoah, offered lessons that can be gleaned from what survivors and those who perished endured and gave meaning to remembering the atrocities of the Shoah.

The school continued to mark Yom HaShoah with a schoolwide assembly afterwards to discuss the message and lesson of Yom HaShoah. Rabbi Rubin addressed the students on the topic and provided historical context for how the Holocaust was a culmination of what happens when you allow evil to dominate, and anti-Semitism was not something that started with the Nazis. JKHA/RKYHS parent and president of the school’s Board of Trustees Jeremy Halpern spoke to the students as well. Halpern is a descendant of Holocaust survivors and he spoke about the history of Yom HaShoah, what it means to him, lessons learned from his survivor grandparents and the three pillars of strength for the Jewish people.