How Jewish Boca honors Holocaust survivors, preserves sacred history,
and carries remembrance forward through future generations.
Boca Raton is home to one of the largest populations of Holocaust survivors in the United States, a profound responsibility and privilege that continues to shape Jewish life in our community. This year, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and its partner agencies supported more than 350 Holocaust survivors through essential services and intergenerational programs that help preserve their testimonies and ensure their legacy endures for future generations.
Through initiatives such as From March to Miriam and March of the Living, Jewish Boca is committed to caring for and honoring the last generation of survivors while creating meaningful opportunities for connection. These experiences help ensure that survivors are not only supported but empowered to share their experiences with younger generations who will carry their testimonies forward.
The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County is also entrusted with another extraordinary piece of Holocaust history: a Holocaust Torah more than 130 years old. Following the Holocaust, the Torah was brought to Israel by Jews who made Aliyah after the war. Over the years, the sacred scroll was used at the Kotel (Western Wall), carrying with it generations of faith, survival, and remembrance, before ultimately finding its permanent home here in Boca Raton.
This piece of history came to Jewish Boca through the generosity of the Bloom family, whose support helped secure the Torah for our community and preserve its legacy for generations to come.
“When we learned this Torah could be entrusted to our community, we knew we had to help bring it home,” said Shayna Bloom, whose family helped fund the Torah’s acquisition. “It felt deeply meaningful that this sacred scroll, carried through history and survival, would continue its journey here in Boca Raton and travel with future generations to Poland and Israel. Seeing students carry it during March of the Living reminds us that remembrance is not only about honoring the past but ensuring this legacy continues to live on.”
Each year, our Federation is honored to bring this Torah to Poland and Israel for the March of the Living. Carried by students throughout the journey, the Torah serves as a powerful symbol of remembrance and responsibility, a living connection between past and future, and a reminder that it is now the responsibility of future generations to carry this memory, preserve this history, and uphold this legacy.
To learn more about March of the Living and opportunities to help preserve Holocaust memory for future generations, contact Stephanie Nichol, Director of March of the Living Southern Region, at 561-852-6013 or stephanien@jewishboca.org.
