Remarks on behalf of the Organization / Hila Shefet-Mashiach | Eve of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day 2026

Dear friends, members of the Organization of Immigrants from Slonim and its Surroundings,

In light of the security situation, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day ceremony will not be held physically this year at the cemetery, next to the organization's impressive monument.

We mark this day during a particularly challenging period - days in which we have no certainty of what tomorrow will bring.

After a prolonged period of relentless bombardments, day and night, a year in which we marked Purim and Passover close to the safe room (Mamad), and today, we also mark Holocaust Remembrance Day from afar. And once again, we find ourselves facing a reality in which the Jewish state is under attack.

By enemies both far and near. But unlike in the past - we have a state. We have an army. We have the power to defend ourselves. Alongside this, there are still many who do not truly know us, and others who choose to hate.

78 years have passed since the establishment of the state, and there are still those who undermine our right to exist here.
There are those who would prefer we were not here. And there are also those who fear the strength of the State of Israel and its achievements.
We know that thanks to the IDF and the courage of the fighters - we will get through this period as well. Because we have no choice. We have no other country. In days like these, it is impossible not to wonder - What would the survivors say, those who came here and built the country with courage and determination? I wonder what my father would say about this....

What would our loved ones, who are no longer with us, say?

And what will our children and grandchildren recount in the future about the period we are living in today?

Today, we remember not only the six million, but also our loved ones who are no longer with us.
This year we sorrowfully parted from a member of the organization, the last native of the Slonim community, Prof. Kaplinsky—a dear and special man. May his memory, and the memory of all the departed, be a blessing. Specifically in days when ceremonies cannot be held as usual, the importance of remembrance within the family and community framework is sharpened— to tell, to share, and to pass on the story of the Holocaust from generation to generation.

We hope to see all of you, along with many others, at the ceremony that will take place, God willing, next year.

Tomorrow, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yad Vashem representatives will lay the community's wreath at the state ceremony.
May the memory of those who perished and were murdered be a blessing.