Yom HaShoah - 2023 - Scoutmaster Minute

 

As a Scoutmaster for 30 years, I have the honor to close each meeting with a Scoutmaster minute.

Last night, my theme was Yom HaShoah 2023. 

I shared with the scouts the meaning of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, how it is celebrated in Israel and how important its memorialization is to the Jewish people.

I shared that my other passion is Jewish Genealogy and that over the last eight months, I have been doing a deep dive into my family I lost to the Holocaust, in preparation for this week. Last year at this time I knew of 80 family members that perished.  Because of my research, I've discovered information on 210 victims of Nazi aggression.

I asked my youth how many of them they thought were their age as scouts. The answer is about 10% or 24 children between 10 and 18 that died during the Holocaust. I then asked, if I could read the names of these family members. For 2 minutes the room was silent except for my reading of the names:

From Busk, Latvia:
                   Reyzel Weksler       Age    10
                   Mendel Weksler      Age    11

From Birzai, Lithuania:
                   Minna Katz            Age    13
                   Leizer Katz            Age    14

From Kaunas, Lithuania:
                   Mordekhai Viuker  Age    11

From Kedainiai, Lithuania :
                   David Khaet            Age    13
                   Hone Khaet             Age    15
                   Leya Khaet             Age    15

From Seduva, Lithuania:
                   Tuvjah Hack             Age    14
                   Eide Beile Hack       Age    16

From Siauliai, Lithuania:
                   Simon Sokhet            Age    14

From Kremenets, Ukraine:
                   Avraham Goldenberg   Age    12
                   Aharon Shkurnik          Age    15
                   Gisia Frisher                 Age    16

From Lutzk, Ukraine:
                   Shmuel Flom            Age    10
                   Moshe Szwarcblat    Age    10
                   Hinda Flom              Age    11
                   Shprintze Flom         Age    11
                   Yantek Oks               Age    12
                   Hinda Szwarcblat     Age    12
                   Sara Flom                 Age    13
                   Yossel Oks                Age    15
                   Rebetz Flom             Age    16
                   Tema Flom               Age    16

I believe that personalizing the Holocaust, by in a small way connecting my scouts to my young family members who perished, I created a connection that might not have been possible in other ways.

 

A Scout is Reverent 
May this remembrance teach us all