San Diego Honors Holocaust Victims, Survivors, and Rescuers at Yom HaShoah

A La Jolla ceremony brought together the community to share powerful stories and warn against rising antisemitism.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 1:54am

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A cinematic painting depicting a lone Holocaust survivor sitting in a dimly lit room, the warm light casting deep shadows and highlighting the pensive expression on their face, conveying the emotional weight of their experiences.A solemn remembrance of the Holocaust's horrors and a celebration of the resilience of its survivors.San Diego Today

The Jewish Federation of San Diego marked Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day - with a community ceremony in La Jolla, honoring victims, survivors, and those who risked their lives to save Jews during World War II. The event featured a candle-lighting ceremony, survivor testimonies, and warnings about the alarming rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denialism, especially among younger generations.

Why it matters

The annual Yom HaShoah commemoration serves as a solemn reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust while also celebrating the resilience and courage of survivors. As antisemitism continues to rise, events like this are crucial for preserving firsthand accounts and educating the public, especially younger generations, about this dark chapter in history.

The details

The ceremony, themed 'Celebrating the Righteous Among the Nations,' highlighted individuals who defied danger to protect Jewish refugees. Over 300 people gathered at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center to reflect, remember, and share stories of courage and survival. Holocaust survivors in San Diego participated in a candle-lighting ceremony, and speakers included Arturo Levin, whose mother and grandmother escaped Nazi-occupied Lithuania by fleeing through Japan, and Jason Abranches, who honored his great-grandfather, a Portuguese consul who issued life-saving visas to 30,000 refugees.

  • The Jewish Federation of San Diego marked Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day - on April 13, 2026.

The players

Jewish Federation of San Diego

The Jewish Federation of San Diego organized the Yom HaShoah commemoration ceremony in La Jolla.

Heidi Gantwerk

The president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego, who warned about the rise in antisemitism and the urgency of preserving firsthand accounts as the survivor population ages.

Arturo Levin

A Holocaust survivor in San Diego who spoke at the event about his mother and grandmother's escape from Nazi-occupied Lithuania by fleeing through Japan.

Jason Abranches

Attended the event to honor his great-grandfather, a Portuguese consul who defied his government and issued life-saving visas to 30,000 refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

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What they’re saying

“What he, and the family, and all these refugees went through, it's a lot of times almost as if someone stabs me in the stomach, like I can't finish the sentence”

— Jason Abranches

“Even coming to this talk made me somewhat nervous. They assured me there would be plenty of security, which I shouldn't have even considered it.”

— Arturo Levin, Holocaust survivor

“Yom HaShoah is an incredibly important day of commemoration of memory and also of strength and resilience. We remember the 6 million Jews that perished in the Holocaust. And we acknowledge the strength of the survivors sitting right in front of us.”

— Heidi Gantwerk, President and CEO, Jewish Federation of San Diego

“What we are seeing now in terms of the anti-Semitism, the violence directed against Jews, the attacks on synagogues just a few weeks ago, it's a regular occurrence. I have not seen it in my lifetime, nor has anyone I know except for these survivors.”

— Heidi Gantwerk, President and CEO, Jewish Federation of San Diego

“It, it, it bothers me tremendously, it hurts me, I wish we could all live in peace”

— Arturo Levin, Holocaust survivor

What’s next

The Goldberg Institute for Holocaust Education is developing 'Spark Interactive,' a mobile classroom and museum designed to educate the public about Holocaust history, as part of the Jewish Federation's 'Legacy of Light' initiative.

The takeaway

This annual Yom HaShoah commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and the importance of preserving survivor testimonies, especially as antisemitism continues to rise. The event's focus on honoring rescuers and celebrating the resilience of survivors provides hope and inspiration for future generations to stand up against hate and intolerance.