Holocaust Memorial Speech January 26, 2026 Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Chabad Lubavitch of SW Florida

Today we gather to remember. We remember six million holy souls, men, women, and children who whose lives were brutally taken simply because they were Jews. Entire families erased. Entire worlds destroyed. dreams, prayers, songs, and futures silenced. The Holocaust was not only an attack on Jewish bodies. It was an attempt to erase Jewish faith, Jewish continuity, and Jewish memory. And yet, here we are. We are still here. Holocaust remembrance is not only about looking back. It is about looking at today and asking ourselves what responsibility memory places on us. Just today we witnessed something deeply moving. The release of the last hostage Ron Gavilli. That moment reminded us that Jewish suffering is not only in our history. Anti-semitism did not end sadly in 1945. Jewish vulnerability did not disappear with liberation, but neither did Jewish resilience. Every generation has its challenges. Every generation is asked the same question. Will you remember? Will you stand up? Will you carry the story forward? Three weeks ago, my own father passed away. Since then, I have been saying kadesh for him three prayers a day. twice daily here at Kabal Labavich of Southwest Florida. Kadesh is not a prayer about death. It is a prayer about life, about sanctifying God's name in a broken world. When we say kadesh, we do something powerful. We refuse to let memory fade. We refuse to let souls disappear into silence. The Nazis tried to eliminate Jews. So the But so there will be no one left to pray or no one left to remember and no one left to say kadesh. And every time we gather a minion, every time 10 Jews stand together to pray, we declare you failed. We are still here. We remember, we live, we pray. I invite you to join us for the daily minion at Kabad. Sunday mornings 8 am Monday through Friday 7 a.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. and every evening 5:30 p.m. By showing up, you are not only honoring my father, you are honoring every soul lost in the Holocaust. You are keeping their memory alive, not in museums alone, but in living Jewish life. Memory lives when we act. Holiness lives when we gather. And the greatest memorial is a Jewish future is filled with prayer, unity, and life. May the memories of all who perished in the Holocaust be a blessing. May the hostages be protected and returned fully in peace, real peace, from all the trauma they experienced. and may we merry it to see a world of true light, dignity, and redemption. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.