Holocaust Museum LA, the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States, will unite with organizations around the world in celebration of the first ever Holocaust Survivor Day, Thursday, June 24, 2021.  

Holocaust Survivor Day will be celebrated annually on June 26; but, as that date falls on a Saturday in 2021, this year’s celebration will be held June 24. Spearheaded by Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, Holocaust Survivor Day unites Holocaust Museum LA with other prominent organizations including World Jewish Congress, USC Shoah Foundation, Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, Ronald S. Lauder Foundation and Museum of Jewish Heritage.

In honor of Holocaust Survivor Day, Holocaust Museum LA will present a program featuring Harry Davids, Lya Frank and Edith Frankie, members of the museum’s dedicated, inspiring and resilient survivor community. They will share their remarkable stories of survival as well as what motivates them to continue to speak out against bigotry, hatred and antisemitism. This virtual program will take place June 24 at 11 a.m. PDT. Register at  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HUYPCzJOQJyzCb8JpESwpQ

Holocaust Survivor Day was conceived by Michael Berenbaum, noted Holocaust scholar and director, Sigi Ziering Institute at the American Jewish University, and Jonathan Ornstein, executive director, JCC Krakow, as a day to recognize and honor the lives survivors built in the wake of the Holocaust.  

The date of June 26 was selected in recognition of Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski’s birthday. Turski is a noted historian and journalist and is considered the moral conscience of Poland’s Jewish community.

“One of the main missions of our museum is to honor the survivors,” said Beth Kean, CEO, Holocaust Museum LA. “They represent the best of the human spirit, and there is so much we can learn from them. It is fitting to honor them with a day of recognition.”

More information may be obtained at https://holocaustmuseumla.org/event-details/holocaust-survivor-talk-holocaust-survivor-day

  • This is survivor Edith Frankie.
  • This is survivor Edith Frankie with the students at the museum pre-pandemic.