Jewish organizations across the Bay Area have scheduled commemorations to remember survivors and victims of the Holocaust for Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, which starts at sundown April 13. Survivor testimony, music, prayer and conversation offer opportunities to reflect in community.
If your organization is hosting a Yom HaShoah event not listed here, please send details to [email protected].
Sunday | April 12
Berkeley Holocaust Remembrance Day — Secular commemoration hosted by the city of Berkeley features personal testimony by child survivor Anna Rabkin and music composed for the event by Russian-born composer Polina Shepherd. Online. 11 a.m.-noon. Free.
North Peninsula Yom HaShoah: Remembrance, Resilience, and Responsibility — Reading of names, commemoration service, testimony, discussion. Presented by JFCS Holocaust Center and North Peninsula Jewish Collaboration. Burlingame location provided with registration. 1:30-5 p.m. Free.
Monday | April 13
Santa Clara County Proclamation — A proclamation honoring the victims of the Holocaust will be presented at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. At Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose. 4 p.m. Free.
S.F. Yom HaShoah: The Courage to Act — Reading of names by dignitaries and elected officials, Yizkor service and commemoration with clergy and civic leaders, followed by community reception. Presented by JCC of San Francisco and JFCS Holocaust Center, with 30 community partners. At JCC, 3200 California St., S.F. 5-8 p.m. Free.
Marin Yom HaShoah Commemoration — Music, prayers, survivor testimony and reflections. Hosted by Congregation Kol Shofar in partnership with Brandeis Marin, Congregation Rodef Sholom, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Osher Marin JCC and Sinai Memorial Chapel. At Kol Shofar, 215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free.
Contra Costa Yom HaShoah Commemoration — Congregation B’nai Shalom hosts a community gathering to honor the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Presented in partnership with Contra Costa JCC and Congregations B’nai Tikvah, B’nai Shalom, Beth Chaim and Temple Isaiah. At 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. 7 p.m. Free; registration required.
Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony: The Stories Behind the Names — Community event commemorating the Holocaust. Co-sponsored by Congregation Beth Am. At Congregation Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. 7-8 p.m. Free.
Hitkansut: A South Bay Ritual Gathering for Yom HaShoah V’hagevurah — All-ages ceremony based on a program of the Hartman Institute with texts, testimonies, prayer, music and moments of silence. Presented by Jewish Silicon Valley and partners. At Addison-Penzak JCC, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos. 7-8:30 p.m. Free.
Tuesday | April 14
“Among Neighbors” — Documentary examining post-Holocaust anti-Jewish violence in the small town of Gniewoszów, Poland. Screening in honor of Yom HaShoah. Hosted by JFCS Holocaust Center and JCC of San Francisco with Contemporary Jewish Museum. At JCC, 3200 California St., S.F. 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. showings. Free-$11.
Pink Triangle Memorial Service — Yom HaShoah event led by Sha’ar Zahav Cantor Sharon Bernstein honoring the intersection of Jewish and LGBTQ+ experiences in the Holocaust. Co-sponsored by Sha’ar Zahav and the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association. At 2454 Market St., S.F. 5:30 p.m. Free.
Yom HaShoah: Tales from a Survivor’s Descendant — JCC East Bay commemorates the Holocaust with testimony from the grandchild of two survivors, followed by a guided discussion. At 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. 6:30-8 p.m. Free.
Sunday | April 19
Women’s Gathering for Holocaust Remembrance Month — B’nai Israel Jewish Center’s women’s group hosts Susan Victor, co-president of the Alliance for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide at Sonoma State University, daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Discussion will follow on what it means for Jewish women to be inheritors of this legacy. Bring photos of women relatives and a story to share. At 740 Western Ave., Petaluma. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.
Sonoma County Yom HaShoah — “Between Silence and Story” commemoration with children of survivors, music, candlelighting. Hosted by JCC of Sonoma County. Santa Rosa location provided with registration. Online option. Register by April 15. 3 p.m. Free.