Remember and Act

The Weber School community came together for a deeply moving Daffodil Project program to honor the memory of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust and to reaffirm a commitment to building a better future.

 

Dr. Andrea Videlefsky, founder of the Daffodil Project and President and Founder of Am Yisrael Chai, shared the project’s history and mission, explaining the symbolism of the daffodil as a sign of hope, renewal, and remembrance. She noted that over 850,000 daffodils have been planted worldwide as living Holocaust memorials and spoke about the organization’s support for Holocaust education, genocide awareness, and aid to survivors. With over 2,500 daffodils already planted on Weber’s campus, the yellow blooms stand as a local symbol of global solidarity and action.

 

Weber senior Amy Nowitz and Shinshinit Naama Bochnof offered reflections on memory and responsibility, followed by a powerful personal story from senior Tahel Shantzer, who shared how Holocaust memory shaped her home and identity.

 

Georgia State Representative Esther Panitch, the only Jewish legislator in the state’s General Assembly, delivered heartfelt remarks about her family’s Holocaust story and a recent trial involving antisemitism. She shared that she is named after a family member who perished in the Holocaust and urged students to be vigilant, courageous, and vocal, reminding them that silence allows hate to spread.

 

The program also included moving musical performances. Sophomore Sophia Zalik sang “A New Day Will Rise,” a song written for a Nova survivor and performed at Eurovision to represent Israel. Shinshin Rotem Barel followed with a closing reflection on how Holocaust remembrance is woven into everyday life in Israel, sharing that despite growing distance from firsthand survivors, young Israelis continue to carry the weight of memory. The program concluded with “Oseh Shalom,” a prayer for peace, sung by freshman Mia Montarbo, sending the community out with a message of comfort and resolve.

 

Following the program, students and faculty gathered outdoors to plant new bulbs, adding to the living memorial and reaffirming their shared promise to remember and to act. Special thanks to Hebrew Teacher and Israel Campus Programming & Shinshinim Coordinator Keren Ben-Haim for organizing this meaningful program and guiding students in their reflections and participation.