17 Apr BCHA Hosts Powerful Yom HaShoah Assembly
Students recounted stories, songs, and poetry from those who tragically lost their lives in the Holocaust. Afterwards, students and staff listened to guest speaker Rachel Sutin, whose mother lived through the Holocaust, share her family’s story of strength, courage, and survival.
Sutin’s story wove through her family’s beginnings in Poland, highlighting their traditions, lifestyle, and connection to their community, while also sharing photos of her family and their upbringing. She went on to explain how her family members’ lives changed at the onset of the Holocaust, how they survived in the ghettos, and how they came together to endure their time in concentration camps and survive until the end of the war.
“If I have one message for you, it is to always be courageous, kind, and stick together no matter what,” she said. “It’s those qualities that helped my mother and family survive a dark time,” she concluded.
Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein, BCHA’s head of school, thanked Sutin for her strength in sharing her family’s story of hope and courage and echoed her message of bravery and kindness.
“It’s important that we continue to recount these stories, no matter how hard they are to hear,” he said. “We must remember these events and take away their lasting message of hope and resilience.”