Posted by Julie A

Program Host	Chapter
Host Region and Chapter	Philadelphia Chalom
Program Type	Holocaust
Time Required	Less then 2 hours
Target Population(s)	Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors
Folds Targeted	Jewish Heritage
People Participating	10-30

Program Summary:

A fun short program of a taste of what the Holocaust did to the jewish people.

Full Description:

Everyone stand in a circle facing in.  Everyone shall be blind folded.
Warning: You may not laugh.  If you laugh just once you will be asked to leave.  
It is December, and a group of Jews in Auschwitz desire greatly to have a candle lit on the upcoming holiday. Obviously, there is no way the Germans will allow this to happen, and candles were impossible to come by in the camp. However, this does not deter these Jews. They save small portions of fatty butter every day until they have enough to make a small candle. On the eve of Chanukah, they gather in secret, a group of emaciated bodies who gives up their sole sustenance, around one rabbi. The rabbi then makes the three blessings that one recites on the candles the first night of Chanukah. After the blessings are made and the candle was lit, one of the assembled approaches the rabbi and asks "How could you make the third blessing? In the third blessing, we thank Hashem for bringing us to this day! How can we thank G-d for bringing us to this day while we are standing amidst horrors, death, and torture! Aren't the dead better off than those alive?
The rabbi responded that he too questioned as to whether this blessing should be made. "However," he said, " when I looked around at the assembled crowd, I saw the glow on everyone's face, and I perceived that faith was burning bright in their hearts. I, therefore had to bless Hashem, for allowing me to live to see this assembly to martyrs who sanctify  the name of G-d in public, who keep their faith amidst the flames."
As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of the camps, we must ask ourselves: If we could ask the six million for a final request, what would it have been?
Ask all… allow for response
Certainly, they would have expressed a desire for the continuity of the Jewish people. They, who died as Jews, would have wanted us to live as Jews, to continue to grasp the faith to which they held so tightly. The proper way, then, to memorialize the six million is to strengthen our commitment to Judaism, and intensify our study of Judaic learning. With this effort, may we merit to link ourselves to them in the bond of everlasting life.
Have every person hold onto a part of string loosely. Have them stand and walk backward with the string. If they drop the string at all, they are not allowed to pick it up.  Let the rest of the string loose; make sure most drop the string.  
Have everyone take off their blindfold.
You are all jews in aushwitz.  You have not say, you have to keep quiet.  All of you were holding onto the line or Judaism, something that kept the Jewish people connected.  {Name} Once you have let go of the line, you were forced to convert, or killed in a death camp.  {Name}Those of you who are much farther escaped into another country but lost all of your family.  {Name} (the farthest on with strng) escaped to Israel.  Those closest made it to D-day and are now left free to leave Auschwitz.

Shoah means whirl wind, which was what the holocaust is sometimes referred to.  Those who are still holding onto the string are still in
Please hold onto one another’s hand and squeeze it.  There is something entirely special here.  There is a bond that not only holds true to this moment, but one that takes us through the past thousands of years Jews came to existence. Now, let’s take a minute to light the candle and have a moment of silence for the 6 million Jews lost in the holocaust and the strength that will forever keep Jews together.

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