Yom HaShoah

Today is Yom HaShoah or Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism.  You just can not help but have a heavy heart on this day.  Six million people were murdered for no reason except for hatred!  We remember all the lives lost but we also remember the heroes, whether they were active or passive. 

I have been told by a few people that they believe my soul was intended to be born to a Jewish family that was murdered in the holocaust but I was never quite sold on that but today really made me wonder.  I remember growing up and reading or hearing about the holocaust and the tears would just flow like water works and I had no clue why.  Tonight in conversion class we were discussing Yom HaShoah and I could feel the tears.  So perhaps it is true, my neshama was supposed to go to a Jewish couple that perished, we will never know but it kind of makes sense on some level and that might explain why I am always so moved by the holocaust. 

I was not sure what I could even do to commemorate the day so I was just kind of sad thinking of all those lives and the lives that would have come from them destroyed.  I now know it is also to remember the heroes as well.  The fighters, the Jews that tried to keep tradition and live a Jewish life, or the victims....they all mattered and should be remembered.  The rabbi talking tonight talked about how for as long as he can remember he lights a candle for all the lives lost and I really liked that idea and although to late this year I will be doing that in the future. 

So what will you do next year to remember all of the heroes of the holocaust?  I will be lighting a candle but I will also remember and do everything that I can do so that that atrocity will never happen again.