On Jan. 27, Perelman Jewish Day School fifth-graders at the Stern Center gathered to watch a livestream of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. After the commemoration, students were encouraged to reflect on the Shoah. Two students, Eli Hocking and Maurice Kanter, wrote poems to accompany the online version of these photos.
“A Sad Story”
By Eli Hocking, 5th Grade
Their faces are streaked with mud
Their heads are bald and round
They’re flowers without a bud
They’re cold upon the ground
The chambers of despair
The silent voices’ song
The place that gives no care
The gates are big and long
Their eyes are so, so dark
They’re waiting to be free
They’re like a caged-in shark
There for eternity
“Six Rows – A Commemoration of the Holocaust”
By Maurice Kanter, 5th Grade
Six rows, millions in each So many thoughts out of reach
The first row tall and in gear, for the ones who fought brave without fear
A second row for the ones who died young, so much to know a song that remains unsung
A third row for innovation beyond belief, so many died without a feeling of grief
A fourth row for the family and friends, separated but still together with different ends
A fifth row for the Jews as they rest, so many gone when trying their best
A sixth row for one single person the cause of this pain, as all the others look, a single man stands by six rows, six rows all but the same.
