The Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service (Alpert JFS) honored nearly 100 Holocaust survivors from Palm Beach County during its sixth annual Holocaust Survivor Day event on Thursday, June 4, at Temple Beth Tikvah in Greenacres.
Established in 2021 to recognize and uplift Holocaust survivors with a day of joy, dignity and appreciation, Holocaust Survivor Day is now commemorated around the world. The local event, hosted by Alpert JFS, featured a moving and celebratory program, including a tribute to the significance of Holocaust Survivor Day, performances of the U.S. and Israeli national anthems, the presentation of proclamations from the State of Florida and Palm Beach County, recognition of the survivors in attendance, as well as lunch, music, singing and dancing.
More than 150 guests — including survivors, their families, local dignitaries, and Alpert JFS leadership — attended in tribute to the survivors and their enduring legacy.
“Holocaust Survivor Day is an opportunity to celebrate Holocaust survivors’ resilience, their strength and the remarkable lives they have built in the face of unimaginable adversity,” said Eva Weiss, of the Alpert JFS. “The generation gathered with us today were children — many of them just babies — during the Holocaust. Now, most are in their 80s, and our oldest participant today is 105 years old. If we wait too long, there will come a time when there are no living survivors left to share not only their personal stories, but also the enduring messages of peace, compassion, hope and joy that they carry with them.”
Alpert JFS currently serves more than 200 Holocaust survivors across Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Indian River counties through its Holocaust Survivors Assistance Program, providing essential services such as in-home care, care coordination, emergency financial aid, mental health counseling, transportation and more. The event was partly made possible thanks to a $5,000 micro-grant award from the Seed the Dream Foundation.
To find out more about Holocaust Survivor Day, visit www.holocaustsurvivorday.com.
