Cypress College Yom HaShoah 

Register Now! 

Out of the darkness...we can all create light. Please join us for the college's 6th Annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance event.

They were taken away from their homes, kept behind metal bars and wire fences like criminals—animals. Millions were murdered. Millions more were displaced, left without a home, without family, without much hope. 

On Yom HaShoah, and every other day of the year: we remember those who lost their lives in the Holocaust—condemned simply because of their religion; we continue to learn from those who survived; and we honor those who risked their lives, livelihoods, and families to aid the Jewish people. They show us the resilience of the human spirit; that inclusiveness and diversity are a strength and necessary priority; that there is always still hope for humanity; that in the end, we are all the same.

With these themes of survival, gratitude, hope, and inclusiveness, Cypress College holds a Yom HaShoah Day of Remembrance event each year in April, with the first one being held in 2016.

The Righteous Among the Nations, over 27,000 of whom are honored at the Yad Vashem Memorial in Israel, are non-Jews who took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust. From different nations, religions and walks of life, these amazing people protected their Jewish neighbors at a time when hostility and indifference prevailed.  Most simply watched, and by doing so allowed horrific tragedies to occur, while a small minority exhibited extraordinary courage to uphold human values. These were the Righteous Among the Nations.

 This evening you will hear the story of one such person, Irene Perbal.  Standing in stark contrast to the mainstream of indifference and hostility, Irene and her family were among rescuers who regarded the Jews as fellow human beings. They decided to act, as opposed to acquiesce.

The price that rescuers had to pay for their actions was formidable as many of the Righteous were incarcerated in camps and killed. Sadly, this was the fate of Irene’s father.  Most rescuers were ordinary people, whose humanity touches us deeply.  Bystanders were the rule, rescuers were the exception.  We learn from them that every person can make a difference.  Anne Frank said, “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the Darkness”.

This evening we will also hear from survivors whose lives were saved by Righteous individuals such as Irene.  Harry Davids, Lea Evron and Gerda Seifer will share their stories of survival, and their deep gratitude towards their rescuers.

Please join us on this historical evening to pay tribute to these incredible human beings.