The Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) marked Yom HaShoah and honored the victims of the Holocaust with meaningful ceremonies led by our students, featuring survivor testimony, film, song, and t’filah.
Candles, each with a unique name of a Shoah victim, were distributed to all students in Grades 5-8. On Monday evening, at the start of Yom HaShoah, the students lit the candles at home. This simple yet powerful act of remembrance gave students a personal connection to the day and set the tone for the programs in school the next day.
On Tuesday, students in Grades 3-8 participated in age-appropriate assemblies to commemorate the important day, and students had the incredible opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivors. Rabbi Mark Landsman, Principal of YCQ, told students how their generation will be the last to hear eyewitness testimony, and this is not something to be taken for granted.
At the Junior High School ceremony, students watched powerful footage from survivors and their descendants describing their experiences during the Shoah. Each segment was introduced by students sharing a brief biography of the survivor. After the interview was shown, a candle was lit to honor the survivor’s legacy and to commemorate the six million Jewish victims.
The Junior High School boys’ choir, led by Rabbi Ophie Nat, sang two beautiful songs: “Acheinu” and “Ani Maamin.” Rabbi Nat also led a touching rendition of the special Keil Malei Rachamim t’filah to conclude the program.
Special thank-you to Dr. Paul Bernheim for providing testimony on behalf of his father, William, and for attending the powerful ceremony.
