Holocaust Survivor Day Commemorated At South Orange Synagogue

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ (JFSMW) and Jewish Family Service of Central NJ recently joined other organizations around the globe to commemorate Holocaust Survivor Day with a local event in South Orange.

According to organizers, more than 80 survivors and their families attended an event at Congregation Oheb Shalom in South Orange earlier this month.

The gathering was held to “honor the strength, resilience and enduring legacy of Holocaust survivors.”

The afternoon featured a musical performance in English and Russian by American opera singer Gennady Vysotsky and an intergenerational sing-along with students from the Mickey Fried Nursery School. Upon arrival, survivors were welcomed on a symbolic blue carpet and presented with a framed photo to commemorate the day.

The event aimed not only to recognize their survival, but also to celebrate the vibrant lives they continue to lead, organizers pointed out.

“Today, three generations of survivors filled the room, representing the strength of our community, L’Dor V’Dor—from generation to generation,” said Liz Levy, LCSW, director of Holocaust services at JFS MetroWest.

According to a news release:

“Holocaust Survivor Day was established as an international initiative to shift the focus from solely remembering the atrocities to honoring the living survivors among us, uplifting their stories, and celebrating their contributions to our communities. 2025 Holocaust Survivor Day is sponsored by Seed the Dream Foundation and made possible by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.”

For more information about Holocaust survivor services in Essex, Morris and Sussex counties, call JFSMW at (973) 637-1704 (English) or (973) 637-1716 (Russian).

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