As I walk down the bumpy road of the Shoe Memorial located next to the Danube river, many emotions rush through my veins. We reached the Shoe Memorial and a Hungarian student explained the significance of where we were. This river was the same location that thousands of Jews were persecuted; they froze to death as they fell into the river. As I focused on the river, I imagined the three rows that Jews were stationed in. I pictured those exact lines and each person feeling the effect of the bullet. It pained me. My heart broke to think about the harsh punishment my ancestors underwent just for observing Judaism.
I remember the horrid and devastating times the Jewish people faced as they were dehumanized in the camps. As a whole group, we sang “אחינו”. From my scalp to my ankles, chills covered my body. This moment defined the deep connection, spirituality, and unity Scheiber Sandor Gimnazium and Beth Tfiloh shared. I paced up and down the memorial in silence, grateful for the strength my grandfather and grandmother had as they both struggled to survive the war. The thought “If not for their strength and perseverance, I would not 
be standing here today” lingered in my mind. A tear rolled down my cheek. Tears filled my eyes as my head tried to grapple the horrors of the Holocaust. Many of my peers gazed into my eyes, looking into my sunglasses, concerned why I was crying. I simply answered, “I’m fine”.
The Shoe Memorial, simply a line of shoes along the Danube river, struck me the most. The depth in the meaning of the shoes sparked emotions like no other. I realized the support and unity between the two schools after experiencing this catastrophic time. ~ Naomi C.
