05/09/2024
Yom Hashoah Commemoration Takes On Added Significance
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Hannah Kronenberg, great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivor Jacob Hennenberg, and Remy Walman, great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivor Esther Gelbart Frank, prepare to light the seventh candle in honor of the liberators the Yom Hashoah commemoration on May 5 at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike. CJN photo / Abigail Preiszig
ABIGAIL PREISZIG | CJN
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Kol Israel Foundation’s Yom Hashoah commemoration embodied special significance on May 5.
Almost seven months after the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas that led to the war in Gaza and an acute global rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. and around the world, over 400 community members filled the sanctuary of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike in remembrance of the Holocaust and to declare, “never again.”
“This year’s memorialization is much different than those in the past – never again is back,” Robert Zelwin, Kol Israel Foundation president, said during his remarks. “Jews are being killed because of their religion. … We have been a resilient people throughout our history and will continue to be.”
Oct. 7 was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Erika B. Rudin-Luria, Jewish Federation of Cleveland president, said during her remarks.
“Over 1,200 of our family, Israelis and others were brutally murdered,” she said. “We stand here together mourning their loss and a tremendous pain because the suffering has continued, and will continue until the hostages are all home. One-hundred-thirty-three of our family remain captive, held hostage by terrorists in Gaza, and we must raise our voices together to demand that they are all released.”
It is “natural” to compare Oct. 7 to the Holocaust, Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria said during the invocation, “not only because of the antisemitism unleashed but also because of the parallels of families hiding in safe rooms, children separated from parents, kids not only brutalized but entire families wiped out.”
- The family of Esther Gelbart Frank. Her story will be presented by her son, Mark Frank, her granddaughter, Jordan Walman, and her great-granddaughter, Remy Walman.
- The family of Jacob Hennenberg. His story will be presented by his son, Michael Hennenberg, his granddaughter, Julie Kronenberg, and his great-granddaughters, Lily and Hannah Kronenberg.
- The family of Edith Kalus Perl. Her story will be presented by her daughter Debby Chudakoff, her granddaughter, Lindsay Friedman, and her great-granddaughter Lily Friedman.
- The family of Steven Slomovitz. His story will be presented by his son, Eric Slomovitz, his grandson, Justin Slomovitz, and his great-grandson, Maxwell Slomovitz.
- The Family of Ida and Samuel Zelwin. Their story will be presented by their son, Harry Zelwin, their granddaughter, Ashley Boro Garrard, and their great-grandson, Ari Zelwin.
- Erika Gold and family. Gold will present her story with her daughter, Marilyn Zaas, and her granddaughters, Sarah Zaas and Jazzy Gold.
It is important now more than ever to memorialize the Holocaust to “remember to never forget,” to show respect for the 6 million Jews who died and the survivors of the Holocaust, and to prevent history from repeating itself, he said.
“We must honor our survivors and liberators by standing up to hatred, to misinformation, by bearing witness to events of today and those from the 1930s and 1940s so that they can be never denied and never be forgotten,” Rabbi Rudin-Luria said. “We must wear our Jewish identity with pride by pledging never again.”
- First Place Poetry - High School: Ava Ptahia, 12th grade, Beachwood Schools, for “Rock Bottom.”
- First Place Art -High School: Cecelia O’Leary, 10th grade, St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, for “Memories from Oma’s House.”
- First Place Poetry -Middle School: Amira Evans, 7th grade, Laurel School in Shaker Heights, for “Lost Generations.”
- First Place Art- Middle School: Shay-Lee Hameir, 8th grade, Gross Schechter Day School in Pepper Pike, for “Always Blooming.”
The theme of the commemoration was “l’dor, v’dor,” meaning from generation to generation, to acknowledge the responsibility of the next generation to educate and commemorate the Holocaust as survivors will not be able to tell their own stories forever, Robert Rosen, event co-chair with Marilyn Zaas, said during welcoming remarks.
“We look to generations past for guidance and education, and future generations for continuity,” he said.
Families of Holocaust survivors participated in a “March of Generations,” and up to four generations of survivors shared their stories and lit candles in their relatives’ memories:
The story of Esther Gelbart Frank was presented by her son, Mark Frank, granddaughter, Jordan Walman, and great-granddaughter, Remy Walman.
The story of Jacob Hennenberg was presented by his son, Michael Hennenberg, granddaughter, Julie Kronenberg, and great-granddaughters, Lily and Hannah Kronenberg.
The story of Edith Kalus Perl was presented by her daughter, Debby Chudakoff, granddaughter, Lindsay Friedman, and great-granddaughter, Lily Friedman.
The story of Steven Slomovitz was presented by his son, Eric Slomovitz, grandson, Justin Slomovitz, and great-grandson, Maxwell Slomovitz.
The story of Ida and Samuel Zelwin was presented by their son, Harry Zelwin, granddaughter, Ashley Boro Garrard, and great-grandson, Ari Zelwin.
Erika Gold presented her story with her daughter, Marilyn Zaas, and granddaughters, Sarah Zaas and Jazzy Gold.
A seventh candle for liberators was lit by Hannah Kronenberg and Remy Walman.
Avi Goldman, a lifetime director of the Kol Israel Foundation, assisted the candle lighters.
A procession of Holocaust-era Torah scrolls from Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood, Gross Schechter Day School in Pepper Pike, Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue in Lyndhurst and Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights, started the commemoration, along with a procession of colors by Jewish War Veterans joined by the Kol Israel Foundation flag.
Members of HaZamir Cleveland, a chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir, led the evening in song, conducted by Cantor David Malecki of Temple Emanu El in Orange.
Lindsay Friedman, education director of the Kol Israel Foundation, announced the 2024 Creative Arts Contest award winners. The first-place poetry middle school winner, Amira Evans, a seventh grader at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, read her poem “Lost Generations.”
Other winners of the Creative Arts Contest were:
First-place poetry for high school: Ava Ptahia, 12th grade, Beachwood High School, for “Rock Bottom.”
First-place art for high school: Cecelia O’Leary, 10th grade, St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, for “Memories from Oma’s House.”
First-place art for middle school: Shay-Lee Hameir, eighth grade, Gross Schechter Day School, for “Always Blooming.”
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will commemorate Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, at 7 p.m. May 12 at Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood, and celebrate Israel’s 76th Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 14 at B’nai Jeshurun.
The events are free, but registration is requested. To register, visit bit.ly/3UMnXxr or contact Elle Henig at ehenig@jewishcleveland.org or 216-593-2900, ext. 180.
