The Jewish Students’ Association will present the biannual Holocaust Remembrance Assembly on April 7 through a Zoom webinar. Under the theme “Persecution,” the assembly will feature speaker Doris Fogel, a Holocaust survivor. 

Ms. Fogel was born in Berlin, Germany in 1934, and at four years old, she traveled to Shanghai with her mother and close family friends. After World War II ended, they were sponsored to move to California and eventually settle in Peoria, Illinois. 

According to Ava Eggener, JSA president, the theme was decided early in the planning process as a response to the current cultural climate.

“Right now, it’s important to talk about persecution,” faculty adviser Susan Shapiro said. “We’ve seen the injustices that the Black Lives Matter movement is fighting and racism even within the Lab community towards Black students and Asian students. It is important to be a part of addressing these huge problems. I hope the assembly will be a part of bettering Lab.”

The assembly will be different from past schoolwide gatherings. The assembly has been shortened to one hour to encourage students to spend time away from screens. However, JSA still plans to include modified versions of activities from past assemblies, such as candle lighting.

Both Ava and Ms. Shapiro expressed concern that some students would tune out the assembly because it will take place online.

“I’m a student, too, I know it can be easy to turn down the volume and just tune out assemblies, but I really hope that doesn’t happen,” Ava said. “I think some Lab students don’t understand the weight of religious persecution. You can leave Lab without ever learning about Holocaust, but what happened still affects tons of people around the world. It’s important to know.” 

Ms. Shapiro echoed Ava’s comments and implores everyone who will attend to learn from the assembly and try to open their minds.

Ms. Shapiro is retiring after this year, making this the final Remembrance Assembly she will advise.

“It is bittersweet, my last assembly,” Ms. Shapiro said. “JSA has been a very important part of my experience here. I really hope that JSA will continue and grow after I leave. I do have faith. I know I am not irreplaceable by any means, and I really do trust this community.”

Ms. Shapiro has served as JSA’s faculty adviser since the club’s inception in 1994, and students recognize her support has been instrumental to many of JSA’s efforts over the years.

 “She feels like the heart of JSA,” Ava said. “We’re definitely going to miss her. Still, I’m sure JSA will have many more years of assemblies that would make her proud.”

Headline and featured image updated April 2 at 9:28 a.m. to correct the name from “Holocaust assembly” to “Holocaust Remembrance assembly.”