Reform Judaism marks Yom HaShoah
On the 7th of April, hundreds of Reform members from communities across the country came together to commemorate Yom HaShoah, a day for remembering the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime.
The event looked at the Shoah through the eyes of Reform Jews, and featured music, painting, singing and poetry. Young Jews from across the country movingly read testimonies from Holocaust survivors. This included the testimony of Rudi Leavor, chair of Bradford Reform Synagogue, who was present at the event. Attendees heard from an extract of Rudi’s recently published memoir where Rudi recounted the day the Gestapo arrested the Rabbi of his synagogue in Berlin.
It was incredibly moving to hear the testimonies of survivors in their own words. We are hugely grateful to these survivors and their families for sharing their stories with us. As we heard in the evening, these testimonies are both a gift and a warning.
Artist Lisa Gornick beautifully illustrated two recorded testimonies live over Zoom, adding a moving element to hearing these words. Rabbi Fabian Sborovsky read a poem written by Abba Kovner, reminding us of our duty to remember the dead.
At Reform Judaism we pledge to remember the horrors that occurred during the Holocaust, and to work to prevent such genocides happening again to any people.
We would like to thank all those involved with the organisation of this memorial, those who read or contributed during the evening and above all the survivors whose testimony was shared with us.
