YCQ Marks Yom HaShoah

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The Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) marked Yom HaShoah and honored the victims of the Holocaust with meaningful ceremonies led by our students, featuring survivor testimony, film, song, and t’filah.

Candles, each with a unique name of a Shoah victim, were distributed to all students in Grades 5–8. On Wednesday evening, at the start of Yom HaShoah, the students lit the candles at home. This simple yet powerful act of remembrance gave students a personal connection to the day and set the tone for the programs in school on Thursday.

On Thursday, students in Grades 3-8 participated in age-appropriate assemblies to commemorate the important day, and students had the incredible opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivors. Rabbi Mark Landsman, Principal of YCQ, told students how their generation will be the last to hear eyewitness testimony, and this is not something to be taken for granted.

At the Junior High School ceremony, students watched powerful footage from survivors and their descendants describing their experiences during the Shoah. Each segment was introduced by students sharing a brief biography of the survivor. After the interview was shown, a candle was lit to honor their legacy and to commemorate the six million Jewish victims.

The Junior High School Boys’ Choir, led by Rabbi Ophie Nat, sang two beautiful songs: “Acheinu” and “Ani Maamin.” Rabbi Nat also led a touching rendition of the special “Keil Malei Rachamim” t’filah to conclude the program.

Special thanks go to Holocaust survivor Mr. Ben Milchman, the grandfather of YCQ alumni, who attended the powerful ceremony and lit a candle after footage of his testimony was shown.

Thank you to Morah Rina Bienenfeld, Mr. Jacob Grossman, Rabbi Stephen Knapp, and Morah Mashie Kopelowitz for their efforts in organizing the program.Thank you to the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools (CoJDS) for creating the candles commemorating the victims of the Shoah.