"On October 7, the Jews were victims. But now we have the might, power, and fortitude to defend ourselves, to fight back against the aggressors. And there are signs of hope everywhere. ..."
Heilicher alum and high school senior Micah Schoenberger shared his experience and message of hope for Israel at the October 7 community commemoration. Yasher koach, Micah!*
We are also proud to have had Heilicher parents and alumni parents speak and sing on the bimah last night as clergy members and community leaders: Cantors Joshua Fineblum (Temple of Aaron), Heather Hoopes Seid (Adath Jeshurun), and Inbal Sharrett Singer (Temple Israel); Mirit and Shai (Minneapolis Jewish Federation) Avny; James Cohen (Minneapolis Jewish Federation); and Shmuel Livne (IDF veteran of the current war).
The full program is below. Hear Micah speak at 1:16:25, or keep scrolling to read the transcript.
*Yasher koach = good job; lit. may your strength be straight (true)
Hundreds of us — standing in the streets of Krakow, a short distance from Auschwitz, singing Am Yisrael Chai right after we had finished Havdalah on a Saturday night.
It was a surreal experience.
For years the typical Ramah Seminar Poland trip culminated with Shabbat celebrated in the shadows of the greatest atrocity in history, the Holocaust — followed by a triumphant arrival in Israel.
Arriving in our native homeland, we are awestruck by the resilience of our people. Their ability to persevere, keeping Judaism alive and establishing the state of Israel.
But this year was different.
After walking the hallowed grounds of concentration camps for a week, we arrived in Israel hoping to experience the work of those who survived, the work of those who didn’t give up, the work of those who established a thriving Jewish state.
לִהְיוֹת עַם חָפְשִׁי בְּאַרְצֵנוּ
To be a free nation in our homeland
The journey from Poland to Israel should have propelled us 80 years into the future, the atrocities of Europe a distant memory. But this year, time froze. I went from visiting one memorial to another.
From Auschwitz to Nova, from the cemetery at Treblinka to the car cemetery in the Gaze envelope, from hearing stories about Jewish survival in Europe to stories from Hersh’s parents about their hope for his safety ….
Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with how his story ended, along with so many others.
But this cannot be the end of our story!
The arrival in the promised land wasn’t the same as previous trips. Our emotions were tempered as we bore witness to the struggles our brothers and sisters faced on a daily basis. One could have argued that not much had changed since the Shoah — and yet, everything had changed.
The soldiers defending us were not forced to wear a yellow star, but instead proudly wore uniforms bearing the insignia of our people. A uniform I hope to proudly wear in the years to come.
On 10/7 the Jews were victims, but we now have the might, power, and fortitude to defend ourselves. To fight back against the aggressors.
And there were signs of hope everywhere. Despite the ongoing conflict, many of us still went to spend the summer in Israel as an experience, but also as a show of solidarity.
The risk of going didn’t discourage us. Marching down the streets singing Am Yisrael Chai, fellow Israelis honked their horns and cheered us on. In times where hope is diminishing, our presence felt so valuable.
While the “bring them home” signs were omnipresent reminders of the captives, they were also a sign of hope for a positive resolution. We paid respects to the reality that faced our people, but we were also able to walk down the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and see Israel for all the glory she is.
I was so grateful for my time in Israel this past summer. When I did have to leave, there were tears in my eyes, but also a spark of hope in my heart.
This spark originated from the Havdalah candle we lit weeks earlier in the streets of Krakow.
There, in Poland, singing the words:
.לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר: כן תהיה לנו
For the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor — so let it be with us.
These words capture why we survived and will continue to flourish. We keep our joy and our hope despite the challenges.
To me, being Jewish is keeping our inner flame alive and overcoming any obstacle. Our ancestors did it, and so can we.
This is the hope I want to share with all of you today. One year ago our people suffered its greatest loss since the Shoah, and we must never forget. We must visit Israel ourselves. My decision to go during the war was a risk, but the choice to go was one of the best choices I ever made. We must experience firsthand the wonders and resilience of the country, and have our Jewish flames reignited, our Jewish pride reinvigorated, and reaffirm our commitment to a Nation that protects Jews around the world.
To me, that is what being Jewish means, and that is why I KNOW the state of Israel will live on and continue to thrive.
Am Yisrael Chai.