Shul News & Notes

Money collected from shul members, who contributed to the Yellow Candle Project, was contributed to Greenport High School to fund the bus that took the 10th-grade class to the Holocaust Museum in Glen Cove. The museum trip served as the culmination of the history class unit on the Holocaust.

The shul delivered a yellow candle to each member’s house in preparation for the online presentation in which all participating families lit a candle in memory of The Six Million. The Yellow Candle project honors those murdered by the Nazis during the Shoah. As we lit our candles here in Greenport, so did many thousands across the globe. Contributions that ranged from $18 to several hundred dollars covered the cost of the bus. The students also attended a Holocaust-related film at the North Fork Arts Center, and attended a Friday evening Shabbat service to talk with congregants about their experiences.

Last month, The Shofar received numerous thank-you notes from the students, expressing their appreciation for the shul’s support of their study of the Holocaust. Some excerpts appear below:

• “Thank you for your generous support in making our trip to the Holocaust Museum and the theater in Greenport possible. Your kindness gave us the opportunity to learn important lessons about history, and reflect on a memorable educational experience.”
• “I am thankful to be part of this experience, and being able to hear the testimony of a survivor. It is a unique experience to learn about the suffering caused by hate, which should not take place in any part of the world.”
• “Thank you for the opportunity and the learning experience. It spreads the history of discrimination against the Jews to students, making sure that people don’t forget the tragedy of the Holocaust.”
• “To our great friends at Congregation Tifereth Israel. Many thanks for the support of our students. Very truly yours, Gary Kalish, Principal, Greenport High School”