The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 was Light the darkness.
It encouraged everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. Light the darkness is an affirmation and a call to action for everyone marking Holocaust Memorial Day. This theme asks us to consider different kinds of ‘darkness’, for example, identity-based persecution, misinformation, denial of justice; and different ways of ‘being the light’, for example, resistance, acts of solidarity, rescue and illuminating mistruths. We can all stand in solidarity. We can choose to be the light in the darkness in a variety of ways and places – at home, in public, and online.
This year, some of our Grade 7 and 8 students created artwork and poems in response to this year’s theme of Light the darkness, which we are delighted to share with you below.
Poem by Mencia, Grade 7
Do you ever think, wonder what the future holds for you?
Life won’t chase you for the opportunities
Rather blame you for the dreams you won’t pursue
A dream, may be a dream but duties are duties
Sometimes you don’t choose
Rather be strong for what you are chosen
At the hardest times life will throw you something,
Something that reminds you of that one time, one moment
Forget the dark, forget the light, forget the world.
Remember you’re here and the hearts that will always be here with you are your loved ones
Don’t give up
Don’t lose these opportunities that come to you because of..
Fright, danger, consequences and movies made up in your head for nothing
Live life, and enjoy it while you’re at it
Nobody will change you, or make you
Because you form yourself
not with the size of your body or height
not your name or your age
not the mistakes you have made
or the classes you’ve failed
but the words you speak
the places you travel and the one you call home
the people you love and the people that love you
people are jealous, haters are lovers
lovers of what you accomplish
and even in the times where you think
you are as useful as a pencil
think you are the pencil
that writes peoples guidance
and guides them through
places in the dark,
that they can’t see and need your light to walk through it
at the darkest times think that you are the person that have guided people though some of
the hardest times and will be that, developing and learning, nobody will be able to take that
success, that accomplishment and that thought away from you…
so just remember to…
SMILE
Artwork by Jenna, Grade 8
Artwork by Martina, Grade 7
Artwork by Zofia, Grade 7
Artwork by Chrissy, Grade 7
