‘Every Person Has A Name’ Vigil Returning this January

The Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and the city will host “Every Person Has a Name,” a 25-hour Holocaust commemoration ceremony to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day this January. 

The event, now in its fifth year, will run from 7 p.m. on January 21 through 8 p.m. on January 22.

It will once again be held at Pasadena City Hall and will be streamed virtually via Facebook. 

As part of the vigil, the names of people who perished during the Holocaust will be read.

The victims’ age, date of birth and passing, where they are from and related information will also be read. 

“By uttering their name, we are keeping their memory alive and recognizing that each individual person that we read their name, they had a story, they had a life that was taken from them and the rest of the world just because they were Jewish. And we allow our community members to read names of their family as well, so that they can remember and make that connection,” Jason Moss, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation said. 

The event is done in commemoration of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. First designated by the United Nations in 2005, this commemoration coincides with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. 

Moss said it is important to commemorate the event now more than ever. 

“With every day, survivors of the Holocaust are passing away and with them their stories, their connections to the past. And really in today’s climate, with even Holocaust deniers existing and questioning whether this atrocity took place, we are losing firsthand knowledge and firsthand accounts of people that lived through this atrocity,” said Moss. 

“Without question, we need events like this now more than ever. With the rise of hatred, with the rise of antisemitism and the normalization of allowing the targeting of the other.” 

To volunteer to read the names in person at the City Hall, click https://jewishsgpv.payquiq.com/index.cfm?event=forms&contentid=81A9CD3A-1153-45FF-AD3AF4EA569241ED

To volunteer to read the names virtually via Zoom, visit: https://jewishsgpv.payquiq.com/index.cfm?event=forms&contentid=CFFC67CC-FCF3-493F-97E6268DAF2C7F8F

The Jewish Federation provides a wide variety of programs and services for the community, while also serving as the Jewish voice for the community. 

The programs and services it provides celebrate Jewish community and create opportunities for people to engage with the beauty and richness of Jewish culture. 

For more information, visit: https://www.jewishsgpv.org.