Dear Friends,
We remember and pay tribute to the six million “kedoshim.”
We remember what happens when hate takes hold of the human heart and turns it to stone, what happens when victims cry for help and no one is listening, and what happens when humanity fails to recognize that every person is created in God’s image.
We remember and give thanks for the righteous of the nations who saved lives at risk of their own, teaching us how, in the darkest night, we can light a candle of hope.
And we remember that the past is not only history. Even in our own time, most painfully on October 7, we are reminded why memory matters and why “never again” must be lived, not just said.
We pray for worldwide peace and understanding, that no one should ever face this horror again. I know the 6 million will be praying along with us from On High; I also know Hashem will answer our prayers.
Honor their memory with a special mitzvah, today and every day.
May the memory of the six million be blessed.
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This Shabbat, we will read from the Holocaust Torah that was dedicated to Chabad of Naples in January 2012.
Who can forget when we dedicated our beautiful Chabad of Naples campus, with people of all ages—young and old—singing and rejoicing? And then, the highlight of the dedication: receiving the Holocaust Torah.
Mixed feelings? To say the least.
Joy and sorrow—joy for all that survived, and sorrow for our losses—and there were many.
That this Torah survived and came into our hands, reborn through the generosity of Ellen Ann Goldman, Sam Savage, and the Federman Family, is nothing short of a miracle.
We have become the stewards of a valuable piece of history, and with that, we are responsible to the donors who entrusted it to us, saying, “It is in good hands at Chabad of Naples.”
Now, in this climate, it’s more important than ever to teach our children—in age-appropriate ways—about the sacrifice and heroism of the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were slaughtered in the Holocaust. We must help them understand what was lost, and even more, what must endure.
Let’s pass on this message of resilience, showing our children how to honor their memory by taking an active part in building the Jewish nation and being a strong, unbreakable link in our eternal chain.
Let’s take the time to pause and reflect, and inspire each other to more involvement, to ensure that “never again” does not become a mere slogan (Heaven forbid).
We pray for worldwide peace and understanding, that no one should ever face this horror again. I know the 6 million will be praying along with us from On High—I also know Hashem will answer our prayers.
May the memory of the six million be blessed.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos