Radomer Mutual Culture Center Annual Yizkor Commemoration 9/28/2025

Our tradition of gathering on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur began after the Radomer survivors of the Holocaust formed the Radomer Mutual Society - now the Radomer Mutual Culture Center - purchased burial ground and erected a monument to those who were murdered by the Nazis and their allies during the Holocaust, in the mid-1950s.  Now, seventy-five years later there are very few survivors of the Shoah still alive. Their children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren continue the tradition and standing together continue to show that despite how many were slaughtered because they were Jews, we are still here, standing proudly and strong while remembering those who are no longer able to join us.

We were happy that the weather favored us with a beautiful, balmy morning. Standing together to chant Psalm 23, the Mourner's Kaddish and the El Malei Rachamin as well as commemorative readings is quite meaningful to us. We honor the past generations and still mourn in our hearts for those we never knew because they were killed.

As is my tradition, I brought my camera. Here is a selection of photos of attendees. You know who you are.

For the first time, I got everyone to stand for a group photo. Apologies to anyone whose face is obscured. I've never done this before. Next time I'll make sure the taller people are in the back and the shorter in front.

 

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RIP Charlie Kirk, inspiration for witch hunts

Charlie Kirk was killed, which was bad. He was assassinated, which was bad, I will not celebrate his death nor will I condone any political violence, but I will not mourn the man either. In my opinion he was not a good man. He was a bigot who wrapped himself in a distorted version of his faith and he found vast support from those who shared his bigoted views.

He spoke hateful words often about people he disagreed with, people whose way of life he did not approve even though they never did him any harm. And he said it was his right.

Charlie Kirk believed in free speech and defended the right of Americans to speak even hateful words, which he did frequently. On X, in May of 2024 he wrote, "Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech. And all of it is protected by the First Amendment."

I wonder what Charlie Kirk would say about the people who are pushing to suppress criticism of him and who he was. Would he back down on what he said about hate speech? Would he feel it's okay to direct "ugly speech... gross speech...evil speech"against others but don't you dare say anything against me? He enjoyed debating with liberals, people I see as more open-minded and fair-minded than he was. The witch hunters debase his legacy and besmirch his memory. Do these people who are pushing witch hunts against critics of Charlie Kirk know that they are hypocrites, care that they are hypocrites? Indeed they do not because they are the haters and these haters believe they are in possession of the only truth.

Indeed, he was willing to speak cruel, harsh words. The deaths of the innocents were justified in support of his beliefs.  We must remember what he said after the Christian Covenant School murders of children and adults in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023. Kirk said  at an event, "It's worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment."

Charlie Kirk is dead. He shares the fate of the children of Christian Covenant School, of Sandy Hook, of the victims of the Pulse Club, of Parkland High School, of the attendees of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, and all those other innocents whose death by gun are the cost of us having Charlie Kirk's version of the Second Amendment. I wonder if he feels his own death is worth it so we can have the Second Amendment?

https://kayester.blogspot.com/2025/09/rip-charlie-kirk-inspiration-for-witch.html