Last year, sophomore students Noa Kadoori, Yonatan Ben-Haim, and Adam Blum organized a planting of daffodil bulbs on the campus of Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs. In seventh grade, they had taken part in the Daffodil Dash held annually at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody, which was their introduction to Am Yisrael Chai, i.e., the Daffodil Project. They were also part of a Teen Leadership Committee (TLC) that was sponsored by the Daffodil Project.
Their planting last year drew about 40 people, primarily students and a few parents. They were determined that this year’s event would be bigger and more meaningful. To that end, they began making specific plans and expanded their group to include more input from students and staff at Riverwood. The date of Thursday, Oct. 19, was selected and approved by the school administration for the planting. Approximately 100 individuals arrived — among them were the principal, teachers, two assistant principals, Jewish and non-Jewish students, National Honor Society members, a few cheerleaders, and parents.
Ilse Eichner Reiner, a local Holocaust survivor from the former Republic of Czechoslovakia, was guest speaker. She arrived with her daughter, Elaine, and granddaughter, Rachel. As she opened her remarks, a slight drizzle began, which added to the solemnity of the occasion.
Get The AJT Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories
Free Sign Up
Ilse’s life as a child changed after the Nazis marched into her town. Ultimately, she was by herself in a children’s home in Prague and then sent to a “children’s camp” in Theresienstadt, Terezin. She was among a group of 15,000 children. Of these 15,000 children, Ilse Eichner was one of 132 children to survive. Later, she was moved to Auschwitz, the largest and most infamous killing center in Poland.
Upon arriving at Auschwitz, it would be decided who would live and who would be immediately exterminated. Fortunately, Ilse’s life was spared so she could be…
Read the full article here
