Ensuring Memory
Eighth Graders ‘ Adopt ’ Survivors of the Holocaust , Committing to Retell Their Stories to the Next Generation
The eighth grade talmidim of Yeshiva Darchei Torah completed a four-month effort to interview survivors of the Holocaust and retell their stories by producing a beautiful event at the Yeshiva that was attended by hundreds of parents and grandparents .
The boys ’ hard work , ingenuity and the gravity with which they took their mission were on full display that night in the Diamond Beis Medrash , in the form of videos that they produced about the survivors , PowerPoint slide presentations , and full-color , detailed dioramas and display boards that were set up around the room .
The project , known as “ Adopt-A-Survivor ,” is the brainchild and was the life mission of Mr . Irving Roth a ” h , a Holocaust survivor who visited the Yeshiva and met with the eighth grade students every year until his passing two years ago .
According to Rabbi Moshe Leff , principal of Yeshiva Darchei Torah ’ s middle school , each of the forty presentations had three components : the survivor ’ s life before the Holocaust , their experiences during the war , and their success and Siyata DiShmaya in rebuilding their lives in its aftermath .
While most of the boys were able to interview living survivors in person , some spent their time viewing recorded testimony and researching the stories of those who had been interviewed by students in previous years .
“ The boys took this project very seriously ,” says Rabbi Leff . “ In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of that dark chapter in our history and learning valuable life lessons , they will now be able to retell the testimony of the survivors they met with , which is critical in a world where some dare to deny the Holocaust itself .”
The event brought to mind the haunting lyrics of the classic Abie Rotenberg song , Memories :
What will become of all the memories ? Are they to scatter with the dust in the breeze ? And who will stand before the world Knowing what to say When the very last survivor – fades away ?
Thanks to the efforts and commitment of Yeshiva Darchei Torah ’ s eighth graders , the question posed by the song has an optimistic answer .
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22 BEDARCHEI HATORAH WINTER 5784 / 2024