Robert M. Beren Academy

Today, on Yom HaShoah, RMBA came together in solemn remembrance of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. May their memories be a blessing, and may we continue to honor the resilience of survivors whose courage and strength continue to inspire us each day.

This morning’s Upper School program opened with High School Names Not Numbers students lighting six memorial candles, each dedicated to a victim of the Holocaust. This act of remembrance also honored Holocaust survivors in Houston who were interviewed as part of this year’s documentary project, creating a powerful bridge between testimony and memory. In recognition of our responsibility to preserve survivor stories for future generations, especially as so few first-generation survivors remain, we were honored to host a presentation by Lisa Strauss, who shared her grandfather Martin Donald’s story of survival, from coming of age in Berlin during the rise of Adolf Hi**er to serving in the British forces and helping bring N***s to justice after World War II.

Earlier in the day, Lower School students gathered for a Yom HaShoah Tekes, sharing reflections and singing Ani Ma’amin in a meaningful moment of remembrance. Alumna Hili Kister (‘24), currently serving in Houston as part of her Sherut Leumi, read The Happiest Boy on Earth to students in grades K–3, bringing age-appropriate reflection to our youngest learners.

Across campus, Holocaust research and artwork filled the hallways as Hebrew classes in grades 6–10 explored themes including the Righteous Among the Nations, survivor testimonies, acts of heroism, and life in camps and ghettos, with students also incorporating personal family histories. Upper School students also created original butterfly artwork inspired by I Never Saw Another Butterfly, curated and installed in the front lobby as a fully student-led project inspired by Holocaust Museum Houston’s “Taking Flight” initiative.

Through learning, reflection, and storytelling, our students help ensure that the memory and legacy of the Holocaust continues to live on.

We hope you’ll join us on May 13 for the powerful Names, Not Numbers premiere at Holocaust Museum Houston.