Auschwitz survivor at HANC on Yom Hashoah

Last Thursday, the 27th of Nisan, HANC high school’s commemoration of Yom Hashoah began with a candle-lighting ceremony by grandchildren of survivors in memory of the six million Jews who perished.  

The students then heard from a Holocaust survivor, Mrs. Rachel Gleitman, the mother of former HANC President Mrs. Lilian Borofsky and grandmother of HANC graduates Gregory (’09), Nicole (’00), Danielle (’96), and Yvette (’94). Mrs. Gleitman stole the hearts and minds of all the students and faculty as she told of her experience in Auschwitz and as she relayed her valuable message for the next generation.

The generation that lived through the tragedy of the Holocaust is gradually fading, and it is the new generations that must carry on the legacy. Mrs. Gleitman, being among the very small number of remaining survivors, weaved this powerful idea in and out of her speech with the hopes that we will always remember and preserve the legacy by living our lives as proud and devoted Jews. At the end of her talk, she added: Live a happy life, don’t stress out, and focus on what is important.

Senior Alex Klein thanked Mrs. Gleitman on behalf of the student body and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. Following this was a heart-warming performance of Ani Maamin by the Kol Rabbotanu Chorale, consisting of Rabbis Akiva Willig, Daniel Mezei, Yisroel Chesir, Aaron Friedler, Eliyahu Alpert and Yisroel Weingot; as well as a Kol Moleh lead by Rabbi Adelman.

The program concluded with the student body and faculty walking past Mrs. Gleitman, greeting and thanking her for sharing her story. The students were so passionate about hearing her story that they begged her to stay. Mrs. Gleitman was so touched by their request that she came to the library to continue to converse with students for over two hours. 

Thanks go to the student committee that helped organize the event, including Alex Klein, Elana Lefkowitz, Talia Kirschblum and Ben Hill.