This year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day was ‘One Day’, with an opening ceremony which explored all the different events that can happen over one day. One day in particular was changed by Hershel Grynspan- his actions triggered the tragedy of Kristallnacht.

We were privileged to be joined by students from Copthall School and St. Marys’ Catholic School.

Music composed in Theresienstadt by Jacob Weinberg was played by Mrs Algranati, who explained her choice: the first piece, Grandmothers Legend, was a slow melancholic piece full of yearning and longing, with an upward arching melody. Possibly the composer was thinking about his family and life before the Holocaust which was destroyed on the One Day that changed everyone’s lives. The second contrasting piece is called Wedding Dance. It is unlikely that this piece was written to celebrate an actual wedding within the ghetto, yet it ignites a memory of joyous celebrations. The music is fast, full of life and often quite raucous.

Afterwards, the students went to a range of workshops. Year 9 were with the Art Department listening to survivors’ stories and making their own memorial flame. The JS Department ran a session for Years 7 and 8 about the One Day of Purim in the Vilna Ghetto. They also experienced the History Department workshop about a boy in the Terezin ghetto, using the poem ‘If I never see another Butterfly’ by Pavel Friedman.

Year 10 learned from the English Department’s insightful and detailed workshop, which used powerful images and carefully researched historical material to develop their knowledge of the Holocaust.

The Sixth Form and Year 11 spent time with Dr David Wolgroch, the son of a Holocaust survivor, discussing positive resilience. The Q&A at the end was fascinating, with Dr. Wolgroch relating an experience with his son and his father: the boy asked what the numbers meant on his grandfather’s arm. He was told this was something ‘a bad person did’. The child’s response was to kiss it ‘all better’. To which Dr Wolgroch’s father, astounded, called the child a ‘mensch’. Out of the bitter comes the sweet.

The second half of the day saw all the girls return to the hall where Mrs Abecasis told the story of a German family who were caught up in the Nazi net after they fled to Antwerp. The children went into hiding. They survived and eventually made it to America. The son, Alfred Friedmann, is Mrs Abecasis’ father.

Mrs Jacobson launched the Creative Competition based on the idea of One Day- this can be a written entry or use any form of creative media. Good luck to all.

Ariella G, with other Year 12 students, shared her Parysow project with the school. This was the project to translate the memorial book of the town of Parysow, Poland from Yiddish into English. Batsheva S spoke about her experience translating, and connecting with elderly Yiddish speakers. Avigayil R read an excerpt from the translation, and Maya G concluded with the suggestion of possibly organising another volume in the series.

The final speaker was Mrs Brice, after which the event concluded with a song sung by all about how ONE act of kindness can save a world.

Thank you to Mrs Abecasis for creating such a well-run, educational and inspirational Holocaust Memorial Day.

   

 

The Year 7, Girls’ School, Achdus Day was filled with fun, unity and a lot of laughter!

The H.I.P.E team created the most fantastic Tu B’Shevat initiative on Monday which they named #ijuiced4jews. The event opened with an inspirational talk about gratitude and giving, in order to focus the students on the ideas of the day.

Afterwards, each girl was supplied with her own squeezer and bottle for a mass orange juicing session. Over 400 students worked hard to squeeze around 2000 oranges into bottles. Each student had an apron, gloves and personalised stickers to complete the look and add to the fun. Every bottle filled by a student was added to the count for her year group. There was a competition between the year groups as to who could make the most bottles of orange juice, which was won by Year 7.

The freshly squeezed orange juice bottles were then distributed by GIFT to families who would not otherwise have access to fruit for Tu B’Shevat.

There was a fabulous atmosphere in the hall, with the scent of hundreds of oranges heralding the arrival of spring!

On Wednesday 12th January, nearly 60 Year 7 boys were rewarded for attending the D.A.Y.S morning minyan every day for the whole Autumn Term.

They went to Flip Out, Brent Cross to enjoy a jolly morning of bouncing and jumping, accompanied by Rabbi Fachler (the D.A.Y.S co-ordinator) and the Minyan Monitors from the upper years. All the boys, both young (and young-at-heart) had a fun-filled and well deserved reward for their commitment to davenning.

The recent Girls’ School football match against St James Catholic School started off like a table tennis match: 1-0 to them, then an equaliser, followed by 2:1 to Hasmo. Another equaliser from SJC, another goal from Hasmo and SJC equalised again!

The intensity increased and SJC started mastering their substitutions. Our Year 7 team of Tsofia N, Racheli L, Bracha D, Adina Y and Michal BW played without any substitutes. This was a real challenge for the team, but they rose admirably to that challenge. The PE Fitness SOW paid off and girls showed good muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness and skilful ball control in defeating their rivals.

It was an absolute pleasure watching the Year 7 girls play their first fixture representing Hasmonean- especially winning 6-5 against a school who are in 2019 Barnet Football league.

Well done girls!