Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haztzmaut

This week, we observed Yom Hazikaron and celebrated Yom Haatzmaut.

Our High School students partnered with the 7th grade to put on a meaningful Yom Hazikaron program for 4th-11th grade. At the end of the ceremony, Rabbi Lesack shared the words which were expressed by President Reuven Rivlin at the Western Wall the evening before:

“For more than 68 years, we have been fighting the same war, the war for our independence — an ongoing campaign that changes its face and form. It is a painful battle that perpetually adds fresh scars to the body and spirit of this ancient and robust people. Inherent in the stones behind me, the stones of the Western Wall, the “wall of tears and hope,” is the testament that we are not people of war. We do not go into battle hungry for war, but with the desire for peace, with a lust for life, and a hatred of death. But we realize the bitter and horrible truth: there is a terrible price — which you have paid — to be a nation determined to protect its citizens and its independence. We will stand strong against anyone who dares to put our resolve to the test in any way.

You, who did not have the chance to finish bestowing love…It is thanks to you that we can love. You, who did not manage to see your children grow up. It is thanks to you that our streets are filled with life, with boys and girls playing. You, who did not manage to fulfill your dreams. It is because of you that we can dream.”

A big thank you to Morah Lydia, Morah Eilat and Mrs. Dahoah for their help in crafting the program.

Yesterday, as a High School, we celebrated Israel’s independence with a special program at the Sandler Center.

We watched the film, Beneath the Helmet, which tells the story of 5 soldiers (ages 18-21) who have made their transitions from high school into the IDF. Thank you to Jerusalem U for giving us the opportunity to screen the film with our students.

Following the film, we had the honor of hearing from Colonel (Res.) Bentzi Gruber, who is also the founder of the non-profit “Ethics in the Field.” Colonel Gruber spoke to students about the reality of being a soldier in the IDF and fighting against terrorists and others fighting against Israel. He used real-life examples, along with video and stories, to highlight the decisions which everyday soldiers have to make and the extent to which the IDF defends Israel while also honoring the lives of innocent civilians. Thank you to RHS parent, Laura Sherry, and to JNF, for giving us the opportunity to hear from Colonel Gruber.

Our program ended with an Israeli meal of falafel, pita, hummus, fries and salad.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Rabbi Lesack, HS Principal

The Forest: Day 5

The most emotional part of this trip for me was the forest...The forest was a children's grave. The Nazis took hundreds of innocent kids from their parents and killed them one after another...

All those kids that were murdered will never be able able to grow up and live their lives like we can...

These kids were prisoners and they died prisoners...

We put the toys down on their graves for those children who never got to play...

After seeing and hearing about such a horrific event in history you have to be grateful for being free ... to be able to grow up with a Jewish family... to proudly call yourself Jewish and grow up to get married and have kids. Things that those kids will never be able to do, all because they were Jewish. 

Submitted by:

Loren Ben-Shushan,

Class of 2016

Am Israel Chai: Day 4

Yesterday I had the opportunity to march alongside Jews from over 40 countries around the world for the March of the Living. This was one of those rare moments in life that forever leaves a mark inside of you. One of those rare moments that rattles your very core and is forever seared in your memory.
     
Walking on the March of the Living I felt part of something greater. No longer were we a sea of thousands of different people from different places, speaking different languages, thinking different thoughts. Yesterday we were one. One people. One nation. One purpose.
    
Hand in hand with those we knew and those we did not, we all marched together along one ride, bearing a single flag on our backs. Never in my life have I truly appreciated the simplicity and beauty of the Israeli flag as I did yesterday. Never before have I so clearly felt the purity of the white, the bliss of the blue, the strength of the each line, and the power of each triangular point. Each point unique but recognizably the same. That is us, the Jews -- each comprising a part of a whole. All different individually but so potently powerful when we are connected as one. I have never felt so proud to be one in a number and so proud to be part of the eternal Jewish nation.

Am Israel Chai.

Daniella Wirtschafter,
Class of 2016

March of the Living: Day 3

Hi, I'm Lena Stein and I'm a DKJA student. This trip has been very impactful already and it's only the third day. 

The hardest part about this trip so far is being in the camps and thinking, "Wow, this is a beautiful place..." Who expected a place known for darkness and death to be still and peaceful? Definitely not me or my other school friends who have spent countless hours and classes studying about each individual detail of the camps. It made most of us feel upset and completely disconnected from the the experience. 

Soon, though, we came up with a solution to fix our discomfort with the unexpected beauty. All of a sudden there was an imaginary watch on my wrist that, once I twisted it, I could travel in time. Everywhere I went I took out my imaginary time traveling watch, closed my eyes, and felt myself go back in time to the tragedies and feel like one of the many heroes who endured all of it. Standing together packed tight in a cattle car, walking next to a gas chambers in Auschwitz, touching the train tracks in Birkenau, feeling the presence of the children who passed in the cemetery and even more. My handy dandy time travel watch helped me connect and feel as one. 

But the best part about my very special imaginary watch is when I turn it off I'm not sad or angry or even emotionally drained anymore. I become happy. So happy that we survived. Happy to be a Jew. Happy that they failed and we're still here. I literally started dancing and singing "am Israel chai" in the front of Birkenau. 

The entire trip has been an emotional roller coaster from sad to happy between the children's death and finishing the Torah and I can not wait for more of these moments all the way to our El Al flight to the most amazing place in the entire world.

Lena Stein,
Class of 2016

Marching the Torah out of Auschwitz

It has truly been a privilege to travel with 48 Rosenblatt High School students and to serve as one of the three Rabbis for the 180 students from the Southern Region. 

Yesterday we went to a synagogue in Dobrowa Tarnow. It is a museum that stood for more than 500 years and was destroyed with the Jewish community in 1939, and then rebuilt in 2006. 

We finished writing (fixing) a 250 year old Sefer Torah that was stolen during the war and then found in Russia and restored. 

I had the honor along with four survivors to write a letter and as we finished the Torah all the students danced together in celebration singing "Am Yisrael Chai". It was an epic moment. 

The inspiration continued this morning as we called one of the survivors for an aliyah and he read from the Torah for the first time in more than 80 years. We then took the Torah to Auschwitz today, proudly carrying it, each student taking a turn, and matching the Torah to Birkenau for the Yom Hashoah service. 

Last year on the March, Rabbi Meir Lau, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, held a Torah during his speech saying the reason he was doing such was that both he and the Torah were survivors as the Nazis tried to eliminate both. 

We had the opportunity to share our experience with restoring the Torah with Rabbi Lau at this March and were honored to march a Living Torah out of Auschwitz. This truly was a March of the Living. Beyond inspiring. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Plotkin

Auschwitz and Birkenau: Day 2

This morning we went to Auschwitz. 

I was very surprised by the way it looks; there are trees and flowers that make it look innocent and beautiful. However, nothing could prepare us for the horrors that we would see inside and the stories that we would hear. 

We walked into different buildings that had exhibits that portrayed the quantity of belongings that people had and the amount of lives lost. There were rooms full of shoes, luggage, eyeglasses, silverware, pottery and more. 

The exhibit that stuck out to me the most was the one that was full of human hair. The hair was all different colors and there were even braids that remained intact. 

It was a hard thing to witness and for me it put the Holocaust into perspective. The people did not understand that their pictures were worthless and that they would never see their personal belongings again. 

We went to Birkenau where we went inside the barracks and explored different buildings in the camp. The camp is much bigger than I imagined and there were local people biking through it as if it was a normal park. It is hard for us to comprehend that there were people who knew this was happening but did nothing about it. 

Today I learned how important it is to keep the Jewish faith alive and to make sure that everyone knows what happened and how we as a people suffered. 

Submitted by:
Eliana Colman
Class of 2016

March of the Living: Day 1

Day 1: We have arrived!

As we walked into Lodz after an eight hour flight, an hour bus ride, and no sleep, I was amazed at the sight of 70+ students, teachers, and survivors reciting the afternoon Mincha prayer in a cattle-car.

When the first words of Kaddish were recited I broke down into tears. The first thought that came to my mind was, "I wonder how many times the Mourner's Kaddish was recited on this car?" 

And then I realized that the question was unimportant at the moment. What matters is that in their name, not only do I have the privilege, but everyone marching beside me, whether religious or not, is here because of them. Because without them I wouldn't be here. Without my friends' great-grandparents, I wouldn't have any shoulders to cry on. Without the survivors marching with us I wouldn't have any stories to listen to.

Sarah R. Haar
Class of 2016