By ETHAN WERB, Head Student, Herzlia High School Student Leadership Council 2023 โ 2024
Ethan Werb, aged 18, gave a powerful speech at this yearโs Yom Hashoah commemoration held on 6 May at the Jewish Cemetery in Cape Town. With a focus on completing his matric year at the moment, Ethan has not made a decision about future studies yet but he hopes to continue on his leadership journey and to further grow as a person.
The Cape Jewish Chronicle is happy to share Ethanโs speech.
ืืขืืืโญ โฌืืโญ โฌื ืฉืื
Let these words echo through the world and from generation to generation.
We Will Never Forget!
Today on the 27th of Nissan we remember. Six million of our brothers and sisters. Six million virtuous souls that were taken away from this world. Six million lives. Lives, all with a purpose, ended because they were seen as unworthy of living. Six million innocent Jews eradicated, just because they were Jewish.
ืืขืืืโญ โฌืืโญ โฌื ืฉืืโญ โฌ
We will never forget!
Today, communities have gathered around the world, not just to reflect on an event from history, but to honour the resilience of the human spirit and reaffirm our commitment to never allowing such an atrocity to prevail again. As we stand united here today, and all across the world, we remind ourselves, that remembering the Holocaust, honouring the lives of the victims, and paying tribute to the survivors, is not just a duty but a necessity for all of humanity. We will listen to the testimonies, we will share the stories, we will continue to educate those around us, we will ensure that everyone knows. Knows and never forgets. We will always remember the tragedy that should never have occurred, because remembrance is the key to prevention. Preventing any horror like this one from ever occurring again.
ืืขืืืโญ โฌืืโญ โฌื ืฉืื
We will never forget!
We remember Kristallnacht, the Ghettos, the Burning of Jewish Books and the Nuremberg Laws. We remember the Einsatzgruppen, the SS, the Gestapo and Mengele. We remember the Death Camps, the Gas Chambers, the Harsh Labour, and the Death Marches. We remember the persecution, the discrimination, the humiliation, the cruelty, the violence. We remember the 6 million Jewish people who have sanctified G-dโs name. We remember the 1.5 million innocent children who perished at the hands of Nazism. Lives taken away from people, before they ever got to live them. We remember the mothers, the fathers, the sisters and brothers, all the families, the friends, the neighbours, and the communities. We honour the survivors. Those, who despite the unimaginable pain and trauma, continue to educate us by sharing their stories, their strength, their wisdom, their love and their spirit. We remember the righteous upstanders.ืึฒืกึดืืึตืโญ โฌืึปืึผืึนืชโญ โฌืึธืขืึนืึธื, the Kind and courageous heroes, who amidst the brutality, risked their lives to save another, and spoke out during a time of silence. We remember the Partisans. The powerful Jewish men and women. Who despite the unthinkable dangers stood up to their oppressors and fought to defend their people and their identities.
ืืขืืืโญ โฌืืโญ โฌื ืฉืื
We will never forget!
For when we remember, we not only honour the memory of the millions who perished, but we also reaffirm our commitment to stand up against injustice wherever it may arise. We refuse to be silent bystanders in the face of hatred; instead, we choose to be upstanders, speaking out against intolerance and bigotry.
Moreover, by remembering the Holocaust, we educate future generations about the consequences of hatred and indifference. We teach them to embrace diversity, to cherish the rights and dignity of every individual, and to build a world where the horrors of the past remain just that โ history, never to be repeated.
Let us carry the memories of the Holocaust in our hearts, not as a burden of sorrow, but as a beacon of hope and a call to action. Let us vow to never forget, to never allow the voices of the victims to be silenced, and to strive towards a future where humanity and love triumph over hatred.
In the words of Elie Wiesel, himself a survivor of the Holocaust, โFor the dead and the living, we must bear witness.โ Let us bear witness today, and every day, by remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that the lessons of history are never forgotten.
We will never forget our greatest revenge. Our presence. Our Strength. Our safety. Our prosperity. Our Unity. Our Mission. Anachnu Po. We are here. And we are here to stay.
October 7 is another reminder that despite our persecution we will overcome whatever we face. That despite the global rise in antisemitism we are here to be the light that repels the darkness. We are here to spread kindness and love. We are here because we are the leaders. We are here because we are Am Yisrael. Three years after centuries of suffrage and persecution our beloved State of Israel was reborn. And now we know that the Jewish people will never go through another Holocaust again. This is our greatest revenge. The generations.
We as Jewish Youth have the responsibility to continue. We promise to share the stories and testimonies of the survivors because we are the survivors. We are your revenge. We are your victory. We are your legacy and we will honour that legacy with humility, courage, knowledge, love and by being proud Jews now and forever. We honour the legacy by always remembering. Lโolam Lo Nishcach. We will never forget.
Am Yisrael Chai
โข Read theย June 2024 issueย โย Clickย hereย to start reading.
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