FOUNDED 1895 • THE NATION’S OLDEST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
Volume CLII — No. IV
record.pingry.org
Friday, May 1, 2026
WORDS AND POWER Holocaust Remembrance Assembly
ZOE ARGENTIERI (IV)
to ensure the lessons learned from
Shore also explained what
only about 100 survived. Shore
described their sacrifice and hard
the Holocaust are not forgotten.
Markus’s life was like after WWII,
explained that on August 24, 1942,
work. Fourteen years later, they
On April 18, Upper School
Shore began looking into her
when he was freed from the forced
the Nazis lined up the people in the
immigrated to Paterson, New
students, seventh and eighth grade
grandfather’s life by searching the
labor camp in 1945 by the Russians.
Zdúnska Wola ghetto and marched
Jersey, where Markus continued to
students, the Middle School Jewish
internet, reading books, watching
She asked the audience to imagine
them to a Jewish cemetery. Anyone
work as a tailor. They had another
Affinity Group, and faculty gathered
films, and even traveling to Poland
what Markus must have been feeling
unable to walk was killed. Upon
child and lived a beautiful life full
in Hauser Auditorium to honor
and Germany several times. Before
at that time. He was emotionally
reaching the cemetery, the Nazis
of love and community before
Holocaust Remembrance Day. The
World War II, her grandfather,
and physically scarred from his
separated the children, the elderly,
Markus’ passing at the age of 47.
assembly began with Dr Olvera
Markus, grew up in a small town in
time in the camp, and with no
and the disabled and killed them
Shore ended the assembly by
explaining that the assembly was
Poland called Zdúnska Wola, which
idea where his family was, or if
all. The remaining people were
reflecting on the help that Markus
held around Yom HaShoah, the
was 40% Jewish. Shore explained
they were even alive. Following
forced to stand in the cemetery in
received throughout his journey,
Israeli commemoration of the
that he had a “normal childhood,”
his release, Markus went back
the extreme heat for three days
help that is perhaps responsible for
Holocaust. Shortly after, Upper
in which he grew up with his
to his hometown looking for his
without food or water, and many
his survival. She asked the audience,
School Jewish Affinity Group
mother, father, and six siblings,
family, but left very shortly after
died of dehydration. The survivors
“How will you stand up to hatred?”
leaders, Jack Sherman (VI)
while later working as a tailor.
fearing for his own safety. He then
were then put in trucks and brought
Shore allowed the audience to
and Sarah Novofastovsky (VI)
Shortly after Markus turned 24,
moved into a displacement camp.
to the Chelmno extermination
reflect on their answers and then
introduced speaker Mellisa Shore,
however, WWII began. In November
The displacement camp was run
camp. At the camp, the victims were
provided a few suggestions. She
a member of the 3G organization.
of that year, the Nazis invaded his
by the United States and founded
brought to a church and told to leave
invited the audience to each try
The 3G organization is an
town. Markus’ life changed rapidly,
as a place for Jewish survivors of
their belongings there. The Nazis
to complete three acts of honor to
educational nonprofit organization
and his whole family was forced to
the Holocaust to live, heal, and
told the survivors that they were
commemorate Markus’ story and
founded by grandchildren of
wear a yellow star at all times. They
find community. Markus ended
going to be disinfected before being
carry lessons from today into a
Holocaust survivors. Their mission
were forced into a ghetto with all of
up having an extremely positive
sent east to work. The group was
better future. She asked the audience
is to educate communities about
the other Jewish people in the town.
experience in the displacement
sent to a large mansion and asked
to share what this story made them
the perils of intolerance and to
Shore discovered that Markus only
camp, finding friends and a support
to take off their clothes, and the
think or feel, speak up against
provide a supportive forum for the
spent a year in the Zdúnska Wola
system. He also met his wife, Ela,
victims were then locked in a large
antisemitism or other forms of
descendants of survivors. Shore
ghetto before being separated from
in the camp, who was from his
truck and gassed to death. They
hate, and perform acts of kindness.
shared the story of her grandfather,
his family and forced to move to
hometown, and they got married
were later buried in a mass grave.
The assembly concluded
Markus Warszawski, a Holocaust
the Lodz ghetto. Markus spent a
and had their first child, Shore’s
However, Markus’ story does not
with Julia Ronnen (VI) inviting
survivor. Being named in honor
year there working as a tailor, a
mother, in the camp’s hospital.
end there. Through a program called
members of the community to
of her grandfather, Shore often
skill Shore stated may have saved
Shore explained, however, that
the “Tailor Project,” offered to him
a candlelighting to honor Yom
wondered about him and his
his life, before he was moved to
Markus still had questions about his
because of his sewing ability, he and
HaShoah. This assembly highlighted
experience, but it was never talked
Janowska, a forced labor camp in
family. After some research, Markus
his family immigrated to Montreal,
the importance of kindness,
about in her family. She emphasized
Lviv, Ukraine. In this camp, Markus
was able to determine that he was
Canada, and lived there for 14
tolerance, and understanding in an
the importance of discussing and
was forced to break rocks all day,
the only survivor out of his family.
years. Restarting in a completely
increasingly divided world, and it
remembering what the victims of
every day, no matter the weather,
He also discovered that out of the
new country was extremely hard
was a beautiful way to pay tribute
the Holocaust went through in order
with extremely little food or water.
10,000 Jews from his hometown,
on Markus and Ela, and Shore
to the victims of the Holocaust.
Photo Credits: Pingry Communications