Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Some modern holidays stick, and others do not. Occasions such as Yom Hashoa, Yom Ha'Zikaron, Yom Ha'Atzmaut, and Yom Yerushalayim have clearly made it to the Jewish calendar and have been accepted by the Jewish people.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January and the commemoration of the anniversary of Kristallnacht in November are are still in progress.

This past March, a segment of the Jewish people has designated June 26 as Holocaust Survivors' Day. The purpose is to reflect not on the evil which was committed against our people, but rather, the courage and bravery exhibited by survivors. Part of the idea behind affixing a date is to honor survivors while we still have them in our midst. 

Whether or not the new date sticks is unclear. Only time will tell. One of the greatest lessons of the Shoah is the survivor's triumphant spirit. Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, once visited the Dean of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, together with some other businessmen. The Rabbi, himself a survivor, asked: "What is the most important lesson of the Holocaust?" He described the terrible, indescribable sufferings thrust upon Jews. He said when we reached the barracks, we were given one blanket for six people. We could choose to share it, or each one could try to grab it. "The greatest lesson of the Holocaust is the triumph of the human spirit," he said. "Now each of you return to America and share your blanket with five others."

In my twenty-one years serving as a Rabbi in the GTA, I am inspired by how survivors have lived their lives. Many came here with nothing; many built an economic success; many married and established multi-generational families; many rooted their lives in Jewish values; many pioneered great synagogues in our community, and more.

An annually accepted Holocaust Survivors' Day? An interesting idea!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison