HolocaustThe genocide of millions of European Jews–as well as other ethnic, religious and minority groups–by the Nazis during World War II. The tragic events of the Holocaust are now commemorated each year on Yom HaShoah; established in 1952 by the Israeli government. Shoah (calamity) has become the term used to describe the systemic mass slaughter that occurred during World War II. Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) allows us to memorialize the greatest tragedy experienced by the Jewish people in modern times. It reminds us that, wrapped up in that unfathomable horror, were millions of individual lives—real people with real stories. It is up to us to learn and share these stories on their behalf. Together, we say we must never forget. Rituals for Yom Hashoah vary. Some communities read names of people killed in the Holocaust, some observe moments of silence. New liturgy is still being developed, and it is sadly relevant, since genocide continues to plague our world.Â
“A cemetery twice desecrated / A people the world long forgot”
Rooted in the traumas of Jewish history, we reach out in solidarity with our neighbors who are oppressed
“We walk on cracked earth / forward on swollen feet…”
“She walked to the outer limit / And in outrage, took out her pen”
“Let us grab hold of our present”
In this immersion, we will reflect and expand on our personal experiences of identity, using writing exercises and in-depth discussions to think about, challenge, discover, explore, and experiment with different ways to identify ourselves, to consider how those ways connect us to and separate us from others, and how they represent and misrepresent aspects of who we are.
Four sessions, starting June 15th
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