Five hundred daffodils, obtained as part of Am Yisrael Chai’s Daffodil Project, were planted at our newly created memorial garden at Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua on October 9, 2023. Congregants, neighbors, local and state public figures including Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess planted the bulbs. A mere two days after October 7, this was a meaningful way for a still reeling community to come together, grieve, and note that the Jewish people still live on in the vibrant flowers that will multiply and flourish year after year.
The Daffodil Project aspires to build a worldwide Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million daffodils in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust and in support for children suffering in humanitarian crises in the world today.
Why daffodils? The shape and color of the daffodils represent the yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Yellow is the color of remembrance. Daffodils represent our poignant hope for the future. They are resilient and return with a burst of color each spring, signifying hope, renewal and beauty. The daffodils also honor those who survived the Holocaust and went on to build new lives after this dark and difficult period.
The October event began with a presentation by our member Carol Gorelick who explained the background of the project followed by directives for planting by Ellie Schwartz. City of Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess planted the first ceremonial bulb, after-which everyone else joined in and did their part. In addition to mayor Donchess, attendees included Sherry Dutzy (NH State Rep), Trish Klee (Nashua Alderman, Ward 3) and many TBA members.
TBA has a long history of Holocaust education, through annual Yom HaShoah events and book discussions. For the last few years, a dance performance was presented by a touring group of highly trained New England Dance Ensemble (NEDE.org) members ranging in age from 6-18. The 40-minute production of “A Child’s View of the Holocaust” portraying children’s experiences under Nazi rule was a moving and meaningful experience. The TBA community regularly partners with Rivier university and the Jewish Federation of NH to observe Yom HaShoah in well attended events with notable speakers, music and displays. Each year on Yom HaSohoah members of the community meet at the Nashua Holocaust Memorial on Main Street for a ceremony and reflection time. For our community, the Daffodil Project offered everybody — regardless of age or personal history — a chance to participate in making our already beautiful campus even lovelier and have a deeper meaning for our heritage.
In April 2024 the group who initiated the program gathered at the garden as the blooming daffodils became a welcoming and bright statement that spring had finally arrived and reminded us that hope can accompany the sorrow and memory of those who suffered so. As antisemitism rises in the US and around the world, the daffodil garden stands as a reminder of what is possible.
Currently, 978,500 bulbs in 465 locations worldwide have been planted, and 500 of them are at Temple Beth Abraham, Nashua NH! To learn more about the Daffodil Project visit www.daffodilproject.net. To visit the memorial daffodil garden at Temple Beth Abraham, come to 4 Raymond Street, Nashua, and walk to the back of the building on Chester street side.