ATLANTA — Members of metro Atlanta’s Jewish community are coming together to remember the lives lost in the Holocaust and the people who survived this terrible chapter in history.
It's known as Yom HaShoah or Holocaust and Heroes Remembrance Day. This year, Atlantans are marking the occasion by sharing the completed restoration work on a memorial monument built for those who perished during World War II.
People remembered their family and friends by calling their names and leaving flowers at the monument. The event took place at Greenwood Cemetery on Sunday and featured several speakers, including U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, whose own family is still deeply impacted by the Holocaust.
During the remembrance event, Sen. Ossoff said despite efforts to stamp out a whole race of people, they remain strong and continue to thrive.
“When I hear at an event like this a Jewish baby or Jewish child, I hear an act of defiance and evidence of the failure to destroy us," Ossoff stated.
People like Barry Alhadeff said his grandparents survived the Holocaust and said he is disheartened to witness what is unfolding right now since the Israel-Hamas war started.
“It's scary to me that so much is going on in this country regarding antisemitism," Alhadeff said.
An example is that some residents woke up earlier this week to antisemitic flyers littering a neighborhood around Durand Drive and Emory Circle in Atlanta. In general, Alhadeff said he taught for 30 years in Alpharetta and believes people need to be educated on the past so that history doesn’t repeat itself.
“Realize that what took place during World War II is looking like it's starting all over again, and it's sad that we’re dealing with this in this country. This country should know better," he said.