On Sunday, April 12, over 300 gathered at the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s 62nd Annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. 

In observance of Yom HaShoah, this year’s program focused on the importance of memory and responsibility, featuring remarks from local leaders, including Associate Deputy Mayor Jessica Shapiro, Rabbi David Grundland of Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Mayor's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Interfaith Affairs Director Bishop Wilfred Speakes, and keynote speaker Barbara Greenspan Shaiman who is a second generation Holocaust Survivor.

The ceremony also included candle lighting, prayers and musical performances by Nashirah, the Jewish Chorale of Greater Philadelphia, violinist Philip Kates of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cantor Tifani Coyot and The Shir Squad of Temple Brith Achim.

Led by the Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council, the program was supported by 3G Philly, ADL, AJC, Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Association, Gratz College, Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, and Sons and Daughters of Holocaust Survivors of Greater Philadelphia.

Jeffrey Lasday, senior chief of external affairs at the Jewish Federation and a fourth-generation Survivor, welcomed attendees to the ceremony and spoke about the ongoing importance of remembering the past to secure a stronger and more vibrant future.

“With today’s rise in antisemitism, it is more important than ever to remember our history,” Lasday said. “We have faced dark times before, especially during the Holocaust, when it felt like the world had turned against the Jewish people. Yet we have endured, while those who sought to destroy us have not. In today’s darkness, we must remember the Holocaust and take pride in the strength and joy of being Jewish.”

Community members, Survivors, religious leaders and allies gathered for the 62nd Annual Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony. 

Barbara Greenspan Shaiman shared her personal connection to the Holocaust and how her family’s history inspired her path in life.  

Jessica Shapiro spoke to attendees about the civic responsibility to ensure that history does repeat itself. 

Mayor's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Interfaith Affairs Director Bishop Wilfred Speakes reflects on the importance of interfaith relations and allyship for creating a better future.  

Holocaust and generational Survivors as well as attendees placed stones on the Monument to the Six Million Jewish Martyrs in memory of those who perished during the Shoah. 

 WATCH: HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CEREMONY 

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To see more photos from the ceremony, click here. 

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is dedicated to commemorating the Holocaust, honoring the memory of those who perished, and promoting an understanding of its consequences through educational programming, advocacy, and direct support services for aging Survivors. To learn more, click here.