Youth HEAR’s fourth annual Yom HaShoah commemoration event

On Monday 17 April 2023, History students from Year 10 and Year 11 attended Youth HEAR’s fourth annual Yom HaShoah commemoration event. ‘Shoah’ is the Hebrew word meaning ‘catastrophe’ that has become synonymous with the Holocaust. Yom HaShoah translates to ‘The Day of the Catastrophe’ and it is observed annually to commemorate those who perished in the Holocaust.

The theme for this year’s event was ‘Stories of Hope’ and we were fortunate to hear from two Holocaust survivors, Peter Halas and Olga Horak, who shared their stories of persistence and hope during and after the Holocaust. It was an incredibly powerful experience and the opportunity to hear the stories of survivors is an integral part of Holocaust education. It attributes a voice to the history that we learn in school and allows us to connect with the individuals who perished on a personal level.

Furthermore, it is traditional on Yom HaShoah to light candles to acknowledge the lives lost. Six candles were lit by descendants of Holocaust survivors from the Youth HEAR team who shared familial stories from the Holocaust and individual efforts in ensuring that history is never repeated. Their stories were empowering and demonstrated how by maintaining hope, a fulfilling outcome can be achieved. It also spoke to overarching notions of social justice that we continually seek promote in our communities through many different aspects.

The evening was completed with a rendition of ‘Hatikvah’ (the hope) sung in English and Hebrew and performed by Ben Adler on the surviving violin of Emmanuel Fisher, a German Jew who fled Europe and then joined the successful Weintraub Syncopators.

The event was deeply inspiring, and we thank Youth HEAR for arranging an opportunity for us to engage with history in a unique way.

“The Holocaust was one of the darkest parts of human history, and as time goes on, we face a world where Holocaust Survivors are no longer here to tell their stories. As the youth, it is our shared responsibility to call out all forms of hatred and racial bias to ensure that hate crime doesn’t have a place in our society so that atrocities like the Holocaust never happen again. It was an honour to have MLC School students stand with us as we honoured those who perished in the Holocaust and celebrated the stories of survival.” – Julia Sussman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Youth HEAR.

Youth HEAR: https://www.youthhear.org.au/
Peter Halas’ story: https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/survivor-portraits-peter-halas/
Olga Horak’s story: https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/survivor-portraits-olga-horak/

– Sarah (Year 11)