Were they All Really Holy? Death, the Yoms and our Personal and National Legacy Each year as spring arrives, Jewish people memorialize. From Yizkor on Pesach, to Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, we say prayers that allow us to reflect on those whom we have lost, both in our personal lives and in our nation. Yet, this year, as I sat in Yizkor, one line gave me pause. In some of the versions of the אֵל מָלֵא רַחֲמִים Memorial Prayer for Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, we say כלם קדושים, each and every person who died was holy. But how is it that they are all holy? Certainly some of those whom we think about on these days were unkind or inconsiderate or even cruel or dishonest. Sometimes קדוש may not be the first or even the last word we use to describe them. So why does everyone who died in these events get “bumped up” to the level of holiness? I spent some time discussing this question with our thoughtful KDS students, and we came up with a few answers that can teach us all impor
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