The Jewish Federation of San Diego and the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center hosted their annual Holocaust commemoration in La Jolla on Sunday.
The day served as a time to come together in remembrance and reflection, according to event organizers.
“It’s important that we tell the stories and that we remember the Holocaust,” Heidi Gantwerk, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego, said.
Families, including some Holocaust survivors, attended the event with a program that featured music, prayer and a candle-lighting ceremony.
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“My father, my uncles, my grandmother, my mother, she had a younger sister and a younger brother, and they were all killed,” Holocaust survivor Gerald Szames said.
Author Mitch Albom spoke to guests in the theater about the history of the Holocaust and why it is important to remember that history.
“When I think about this day today, I think about where hatred can lead and where dehumanization can lead, and I think about antisemitism in its rawest form that comes back. Every few years, we see another wave. The Holocaust was one of the worst examples, but it is by far not the only example,” Gantwerk said.
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Local leaders are continuing their effort to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial, according to event organizers.
