During the third week in March, Holocaust Remembrance Week was observed here at ETHS. Internationally, Holocaust Remembrance Day is on Jan. 27, but for decades, the school has chosen to commemorate the 11 million people executed during the holocaust in March. Although the tradition was put on pause for COVID-19, the event has come back stronger than ever in the years following the pandemic. Hosted annually, Holocaust Remembrance Week at ETHS aims to educate students and staff about the genocide that took place and pay tribute to those who were lost. The theme of Holocaust Remembrance Week this year was “What Was Lost: Jewish Life Before the Holocaust.” The Holocaust Remembrance Committee organized numerous events focused on the culture and history that thrived in Jewish communities before the Holocaust occurred.
“It was interesting to learn what life was like before the Holocaust happened. I think it gets forgotten, sometimes, that all of those people lived full and important lives that were cut short by the Holocaust,” Junior Ash Mullenix said of the week, which held events most blocks every day.
On Monday, student members of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee had the opportunity to visit classrooms and give a historical overview of Jewish life before the Holocaust. The rest of the week, a multitude of events were held in A252, including lectures and seminars from professors from Northwestern and the University of Chicago, student-faculty panels, film showings, lessons about the music and art of the Holocaust, personal stories from children of Holocaust survivors, and more. All of the events were organized by history teacher Aaron Becker, along with the student-run Holocaust Remembrance Committee, and aimed at showcasing Jewish life before the Holocaust.
Sophomore Sophia Scriner said, “The events this week taught me a lot about Jewish life before the war. I never realized how vibrant their culture was—so much was lost. It made me reflect a bit on how we should never forget the faces behind the history and how vital it is to preserve and celebrate Jewish culture.”
With the current political climate, it is important to take some time and to learn from the mistakes made by those in the past, but also to celebrate the culture that was tragically lost by consequence of those mistakes. A post made by the ETHS Facebook page sums the week up: “By exploring what was lost, we deepen our understanding of the Holocaust’s enduring impact- honoring the lives, voices, and traditions that were impacted. This annual week of remembrance serves as a call to bear witness, educate, and ensure that history is never forgotten.”
