Though she’s still quite young, Zoie Verstandig, a fifth-grade student at Roland Park Country School, is painfully aware of the horrors of antisemitism.
In advance of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) — which will be observed next Sunday and Monday, May 5-6 — Zoie, a fourth-generation Holocaust survivor, composed a poem she recited at the annual convocation for Holocaust remembrance at the all-girls private school.
The Apr. 16 event, for girls from fifth through 12th grade, provided an opportunity for the RPCS community to honor victims and families impacted by the Shoah.
Featuring appearances by Rabbi Naomi Zaslow of Pikesville’s Beth El Congregation and local author/educator Alana Snyder, the event included a candle-lighting ceremony singing, remembrances and poetry.
Zoie says she was motivated to write her poem after a recent trip to Las Vegas with her family.
“We were in [the Bellagio Hotel] in Vegas, and my dad went to the bathroom. Engraved on the bathroom stall was ‘Kill the Jews,’ along with a bunch of other hateful phrases,” recalls Zoie, a Chizuk Amuno congregant who lives in Owings Mills. “Then at school, our teacher assigned us a new project, which was to write a poem with a message or theme. And I thought, ‘Well, I have the perfect thing to write on.’
“It actually took me a lot of courage to write it because I was really nervous at first about what people in my grade were going to think and if I was going to get any backlash,” she says. “I knew that some of my classmates had other opinions [about the Israel-Hamas war].”
After her reading, Zoie was relieved to receive lots of positive feedback about her poem. Still, she says she knows there are some in her school community, including at least one friend, who view the conflict differently.
“[My friend] said, ‘That was a really good poem,’ but we did have a small discussion about it,” says Zoie. “I think that no one deserves to feel hated, no matter what religion or race they are. And I think that it needs to stop, and you can keep your hate in your heart but don’t spread it around to everyone else. You’re pushing people down to bring yourself up, and it’s not OK and only makes other people feel lower just to make yourself feel better.”
Not surprisingly, Zoie’s parents are quite proud of her poem. Her father, Steven Verstandig, posted the poem on Facebook and received an “overwhelming response, and I know people who read the poem at their seders,” says Zoie’s mother, Stacey Verstandig. “I am so proud of Zoie for having such presence of mind to be able to compose such a poem that captures so eloquently what we all feel. On the other hand, it breaks my heart that my kid’s innocence has been taken away because she shouldn’t have to know from hate.
“I cannot believe what is taking place at these college campuses,” says Stacey Verstandig. “It is dangerous and scary, and the [anti-Israel] rhetoric is spreading like wildfire. And the more I hear, the prouder I am to stand up and shout that I’m Jewish. So if anything is coming from this, I believe that as a people, we are stronger. I believe that we are more united, and I believe we will get through this but our leadership needs to step up.”
The following is Zoie’s poem:
It’s everywhere
Engulfing our world
Prompting people to question their identity
Their worth
Antisemitism hits like a tornado
Shattering hearts
Into bits and pieces
Forcing some to wonder
Why do people hate me because I’m Jewish?
Why do people care about my religion?
Questions plaguing my mind when I read
‘Kill the Jews’
On a bathroom stall
Terrible words
Coming from people who look like us
with
Lungs
Minds
And hearts
Theirs are just full of hate
Did you know
Antisemitism has increased 400% since October
And is still on the rise?
So, next time you witness an act of hatred
Stand up for a classmate,
Neighbor,
Or complete stranger
Because no one deserves to feel
Useless,
Hated,
Insignificant.
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