Alicia Kaylie Yacoby
“The perished were no different than me.
Or you,
If we know and are aware of their life, beliefs, desires, humor, sadness, horrors and love,
they will always be in our minds. Their story is their legacy to us.
They remind us to guard against the first signs of tyranny, inhumanity, and injustice.
I feel an obligation to pass their story from generation to generation.
Instead of worrying if the perished will even be remembered in the year 2120,
I feel a responsibility to ensure that we safeguard their legacy today,
not only by remembering that 6 million Jews were killed, but that for example,
Friedl Dicker Brandeis,
my hero,
will continue to be remembered. She was an Austrian artist and textile designer
who studied Bauhaus designs. While at the Terezin camp she
secretly gave art lessons to children, essentially teaching art therapy.
She encouraged the children to overcome the horrible limitations of their existence. One
of the child survivors, Eva Stichova-Beldova, said, “Despite everything, the year I
spent in Terezin camp was one of the best of my life; it was very productive.
I am convinced that it was only because of my teachers, who succeeded in making the
impossible possible… My memories of them are full of love and respect.”
Each of the individuals represented on the candles had a life. I get excited learning
about them and enabling others to connect to them as a person, who they can relate
to. The bonus is imagining if the perished, like Friedl, would have dreamed that not
only would she be remembered, but that we, the Jewish nation, would be lighting a
personal memorial candle in her memory, each year!
Join by adopting this new tradition in memory of a random person who perished. Or
pick a candle label in memory of someone you relate to and/or potentially feel a
personal connection with.
Glimpse into their lives or learn even more about them by scanning the QR code on the candle label –
to access and read more about the life they had.
Our 6 Million’s goal is for 6 million people to light a personal memorial candle each
eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. I hope Jews all around the globe will also
continue to join this tradition, for us and for future generations.