Cypress College holds Yom HaShoah event
With the theme of survival, gratitude, hope, and inclusiveness, Cypress College holds a Yom HaShoah Day of Remembrance event “Out of the Darkness…We Can All Create Light,” each year in April. This year, Cypress College’s 9th Annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance will be held on April 25 at 7 PM.
Cliff Lester, former photography professor at Cypress and the son of Holocaust survivors, created the program, which is now supplemented by a gallery of photography, a variety of classes and community outreach. As he explained, “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.”
He added, “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.”
Each year, testimonies of survivors are accompanied by musical and artistic expressions. This year, at a time when antisemitism has dramatically increased in the wake of the October 7 attack and Israel’s attempt to retrieve its hostages, the public is encouraged attend the event and hear the testimonies of Holocaust Survivors Lou Fogelman and Harry Davids, whose lives were saved by the courageous family of Irene Perbal, who will be present as well. Irene’s father lost his life by standing up for the Jews of Amsterdam.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets go quickly. The event is at Cypress College Campus Theater, 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress, CA 90630 Register at: www.yomhashoah.org.
Ilene Schneider has been chronicling Jewish life in Orange County for five publications since 1978. She has served as a communications consultant for a number of Jewish organizations. She is a contributing writer to Jlife Magazine.