Yom HaShoah Assembly

This week, students at Yavneh Boys came together in solemn reflection to mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. This important occasion commemorates the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust, along with the countless others who suffered under Nazi persecution.

The assembly centred on the theme of "Remembering Through Responsibility", drawing a meaningful connection to the week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shemini, which discusses the laws of Kashrut. While Kashrut may at first appear to be a set of dietary regulations, the assembly highlighted how, during the Holocaust, maintaining these laws became a profound act of spiritual resistance and identity preservation. 

A particularly moving story shared with students was that of a group of women in the Kovno Ghetto, who risked severe punishment in order to maintain Kashrut. Even in the harshest conditions, these women showed extraordinary courage and determination—smuggling clean potato peels to avoid non-kosher food and using a pareve knife hidden at great personal risk. One woman, when caught and beaten for hiding the knife, famously said, “They took my knife, but not my kashrus.” Students also learned about the role of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Aish Kodesh, who offered spiritual guidance in the Warsaw Ghetto. Despite unimaginable loss and danger, he continued to teach Torah, reminding those around him that even in the silence and suffering, the Jewish soul could still speak. His hidden writings were recovered after the war and remain a powerful symbol of resilience and faith.

The assembly concluded with a moment of silence, as students were invited to reflect on the lives lost and the strength of those who endured. As was said in the final remarks: “Their legacy challenges us to live with purpose, to uphold our traditions, and to stand against hatred and injustice in all forms.” 

​At Yavneh Boys, we remember. We honour. And we commit to carrying forward the lessons of the past with dignity and responsibility.