Today, June 4, is Holocaust Survivor’s Day.  

By Zane Vanderberg 

In slight contrast to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, Survivor’s Day is solely focused on commemorating and celebrating the survivors that are still with us. It’s estimated that there are approximately 220,800 survivors still alive in the world, with less than 400 living in San Diego county. The average age of survivors is 87, and most were small children during the Holocaust.  

With so few survivors left, now is the time to celebrate them, help provide for them, and hear and record their stories. Survivors are each a treasure to the Jewish community and to all communities—each is a beacon of memory and resilience. Locally, San Diegans can celebrate their survivors by visiting the RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust free museum at the La Jolla Riford Library. The museum fully immerses visitors and features contributions by 16 Holocaust survivors, 14 of which still live in San Diego.  

Additionally, many survivors need assistance. All too often survivors are left to fend for themselves and struggle to live in dignity, regardless of economic turbulence. In the United States, about 33% of survivors live in poverty. No survivor of the worst atrocity in human history should have to struggle through their twilight years. 

There are several amazing institutions that help provide for survivors, such as KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF) and the Jewish Family Service, which Jewish Federation provides grants to in support of local survivors. These organizations provide urgent and critical emergency services to survivors, including:  

• Dental Care
• Vision Care
• Food
• Emergency Medical Support
• Emergency Home Care
• Emergency Transportation
• Urgent Home Services (such as utilities, repairs, and rent support)

Regardless of the day of the year, these survivors need help, but on Survivor’s Day, participation in these drives can ensure that survivors are able to live out the rest of their lives comfortably.  

Beyond financial assistance and celebration, survivors need the community to rise up and help combat antisemitism and threats to their lives.  

Just days ago, on June 1st, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor was attacked and burned by a violent, anti-Jewish extremist during a Run for Their Lives event in Boulder, Colorado. Eleven other walkers were harmed in the attack. The survivor was walking among many Jews and Jewish allies to simply raise awareness for the plight of hostages still held in Gaza. The walk is a weekly and peaceful event, held since October 7th, 2023, and Boulder is a quiet university town. Despite this, an attempt was made on a survivor’s life.  

It is in times such as these that communities, no matter how small or large, must come together, learn from and support their survivors, and resist the hate that threatens to destroy Jewish and American values. Whether it is Survivor’s Day or six months from now, we all need to do our part.