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Getting to know Holocaust survivors By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Courtesy Leslie Gang
Holocaust survivor Livia Horowitz sharing her story with Brandeis Hebrew Academy eighth-graders Asnat Rakhmanova and Leah Minkov. The students met with Horowitz once a month, and learned her life story.
Nearly 80 years ago, the Holocaust was declared over and World War II ended. Each year since 1951, Jewish people in the United States and Israel have honored the memories of the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany on Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom Hashoah, which this year falls on Sunday. That day, Brandeis Hebrew Academy eighth-graders will present a program created for this year’s commemoration, called Yom Hashoah. It will include poems written by students, video interviews with HoloConTinued on pAge 9
Lawrence High School senior vies for national honor Ariana Watson, a standout student, is one of 625 Presidential Scholars Program semifinalists By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com
Graduation, an accomplishment for many, is just one small step for Ariana Watson, a Lawrence High School senior who has been selected for a national honor. Watson was named one of 625 semifinalists in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program on April 16. Semifinalists were selected from among 6,000 candidates who are set to graduate from high schools across the country.
“I was really excited, and I was really grateful to be able to make it this far,” Watson said. She was invited to apply to the program in mid-December when she received a letter informing her that she had been nominated. Watson will find out this month if the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars has chosen her as a finalist. Each year, the commission awards up to 161 students with the U.S. Presidential Scholar Medallion, honoring them for notable academic,
artistic, career and technical achievements. “Ariana’s ever present commitment to excellence sets her into this prestigious category,” Lawrence Superintendent Ann Pedersen said. “It is amazing to see the students as they rise through the system accomplishing goals along the way. Seniors are especially exciting to see make their next steps and are rewarded for their talents with recognitions such as Ariana’s.” Each year, 5,040 students are mailed candidacy material to
apply for the prestigious honor. The majority of students selected have excelled academically, and 20 are chosen for visual/performing arts and creative writing and 20 for work in career and technical fields. The U.S. Presidential Schol-
ars Program was established in 1964 and has expanded over the years to include and honor additional categories of academic excellence. Assemblyman Ari Brown, who also serves as Cedarhurst’s deputy mayor, recomConTinued on pAge 8