Holocaust history honored at Yom HaShoah Commemoration

The Holocaust Museum hosted Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles, California, inviting Holocaust survivors to participate in the commemoration. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

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Holocaust survivor Ruth Sherman (second right), age 105, readies to add charcoal marking to the artwork created by Tomer Peretz at Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. The commemoration is hosted by the Holocaust Museum. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Attendees are invited to add to the collective artwork created by Tomer Peretz at the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Rebecca Appel adds charcoal marking to the artwork created by Tomer Peretz at Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Fran Chalin (3rd left) leads Holocaust survivors to a song at the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Holocaust survivor Joseph Alexander, age 102, attends Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosted by Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Hanna Friedman wears “Bring Them Home” patch on her sweater during the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Holocaust survivors gather to commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair) (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

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A family of Holocaust survivors light a candle during the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, in Los Angeles, Calif., the commemoration is hosted by the Holocaust Museum. The six candles are lit to represent the six million Jewish people who died during the Holocaust. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

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Rebecca Appel attends the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

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Holocaust survivor Erika Fabian speaks at the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by the Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

The artwork created by Tomer Peretz with markings added by attendees at the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration hosted by Holocaust Museum on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Holocaust Museum Los Angeles (HMLA) presented its 33rd annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration on Sunday, April 27. Survivors of the Holocaust, notable speakers and community members gathered in Pan Pacific Park to observe 80 years of Jewish liberation from the Nazi regime. 

“Today on behalf of the city of Los Angeles, I want to reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish community, its success and its freedom as an integral part of the strength of our society,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said at the commemoration. 

Other speakers included Holocaust survivor Erika Fabian, Israeli General Consultant Israel Bachar, L.A. City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, Rabbi Amy Bernstein, HMLA CEO Beth Kean and HMLA Board Chair Guy Lipa. 

Fabian recalled her family having to hide their Jewish background by adopting a new identity to avoid Nazi attention. “I never asked my mother why… she taught us the Lord’s prayer, the Christian version of the Lord’s prayer and she taught us that we were now Protestant,” Fabian said. 

A collaborative art piece created by Israeli artist Tomer Peretz was displayed beside the event, allowing guests to write positive messages on the project. Peretz said, “The concept was to connect between the generations. The younger generation and the older generation; the Holocaust survivors.” 

Peretz has partnered with Holocaust survivor and artist Gabriella Karin to work on the piece together in May. It will be on display at the HMLA in 2026 after the museum expansion finishs construction.