Yom HaShoah Commemoration

This year’s keynote speaker will be George Rishfeld, a child survivor of the Holocaust. Rishfeld was too young to be sent to a concentration camp, much less old enough to remember a lot of what happened during that time period, but his story is just as significant as his ancestors. As an adult, he is passionate about sharing his story partly because he said there are people who refuse to believe the Holocaust actually occurred, “I am a witness to the fact that it did happen, and I went through it,” Rishfeld said. “As long as I can speak ... I’m going to be in front of people telling the story. It was a horrific time in our history, and it was planned and calculated, and it must be told so it doesn’t happen again.” Unfortunately, it is getting rarer by the day to be able to hear the firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors. As a community we are fortunate to be able to offer free programs, that people can come to regardless of religious affiliation and hear these important Holocaust survivor stories.

The Yom HaShoah Ceremony will begin at 6:00 pm and will include George Rishfeld’s keynote presentation, benedictions from the Rabbis of Savannah’s Jewish congregations and lighting memorial candles in recognition of local Holocaust survivors, their families and the original 49 families that came to live in Savannah after surviving the Holocaust 1949.