Tuesday Morning Torah – April 28, 2014 | Congregation Torat El - Monmouth County Conservative Synagogue

Tuesday Morning Torah – April 28, 2014

Today is Yom Hashoah- Holocaust Memorial Day. It is a day for reflection and remembrance. It is a day to listen to testimonials from survivors- either in person, through literature, or through online testimonials such as those found on Yad VaShem’s website. 

 

It is a day to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives, as we remember those who suffered and perished.

We are so blessed to live in the United States of America. We are so privileged to live in a country in which freedom of religion and freedom of expression are basic rights. Unfortunately antisemitism continues to exist around the world-from the Ukraine to the Middle East, to anti Israel rallies and protests around the world that are not rooted in policy, but rather in hatred. Today we remember that through our stories, and our actions, we must never forget.

 

Here are two pieces that I reflected upon today.

 

1. The story of one of my family members- Rosa Freund

 

2. An incredible story from Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger– author of A German Life: Against All Odds Change is Possible- the son of a Nazi, who is now living as a Jew.

 

How will you remember today? Whose story will you hear? Whose story will you share? How will you work to be less judgmental, more tolerant, and more sensitive to the blessings of diversity on a daily basis?

Yehe Zichronam Barukh– May the memories of all who were lost in the Shoah be for a blessing.

**Please join us on Wednesday night at 7:30PM for our Yom Hashoah Program.

This program will feature a viewing of the documentary “Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust.”  Guest Speaker Dr. Jeffrey Roffman. Dr. Roffman’s great aunts and uncles helped to rescue 250 of these families!