Each year at King David, it has become a tradition for students across Years 10-12 to volunteer their time to write, organise and present the school’s annual Yom HaShoah commemoration. From writing the script, to teaching the Year 6 cohort the Partisan Hymn, this group of students demonstrate a serious commitment to preserving and teaching about the Jews who lived and perished during that terrible time in our people’s history. This year was no different.

The students constructed a commemoration around the theme of ‘Recording Memory’. Ella S and Lennox prepared and presented an appropriate Acknowledgement of Country, highlighting the commitment of Uncle William Cooper to protesting Kristallnacht. Tash F wrote and presented a meaningful introduction that set the tone for the commemoration. Emma  sang ‘Mayn Shvester Khaye’, a moving poem by Binem Heller, recalling his sister Khaye, who cared for him during the Shoah, but was murdered in one of the Death Camps.

We were privileged to hear from Henry Buch, who discussed being a small child in the Warsaw Ghetto. Mr Buch was ably introduced by Aydl. We were also joined by Alex Heimler, another survivor, who joined his great-nephew and nieces from the Rockman family to help light the 6 candles. Geoff Garber recited the El Malei Rachamim prayer, while Lev and Mia M recited Eli Wiesel’s Kaddish. Liv and Sam L shared their experiences on last year’s March of the Living. Alex A and Trixie also took an active role in presenting the anthems at the conclusion of the commemoration. Thank you to all these students, and the students from Years 6-11 who assisted in lighting and dedicating our six memorial candles.

Feygi Phillips
Learning Area Leader Hebrew & Jewish Studies MC