As the sun sets on Sunday evening, Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, begins. On this somber day, we remember the 6,000,000 Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. We know how important it is to remember the horror of the Holocaust and so I ask each of us to pause at some point Sunday evening and/or during the day on Monday to remember and to commit ourselves to doing whatever we can to ensure that “never again” is not just a phrase we say, but a call to action that we never ignore.
While Yom HaShoah is a dark day, it is important for us to pay attention to many of the inspirational stories that come from the Holocaust – stories that remind us of our incredible ability to persevere through the darkest of darkness and the power of loving acts of kindness that were ignited by this darkness.
Back in January, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I shared the story of Francine Christophe at Kabbalat Shabbat services. Francine was born in 1933 in France. In 1944, she and her mother were deported to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. The remarkable story she shares reminds us that by showing compassion and kindness to others, we can truly conquer hate – we can save the world. On this Yom HaShoah, may we remember the darkness, but may we also live the love captured in Francine’s story and, in turn, fill the darkness with light.
You can listen to Francine’s story by clicking on the image below. She speaks in French, but there are subtitles. Please note: Every noun in French has a gender. “Bébé” (baby) is masculine and in the subtitles it is translated as “he.” However, when Francine speaks in French, she is not referring to the baby as a boy. She does not give the baby a gender.
Click on the image above to hear Francine’s story.
