Honoring Holocaust Survivors
A Luncheon Rooted in Appreciation and Hope
June 4, 2025, marked the fifth annual Holocaust Survivor Day. On June 5 at the MJCC, Jewish Family & Child Service (JFCS) hosted a deeply moving luncheon, celebrating the Survivors of our community. The event brought together almost 40 Survivors along with their friends, family and other community members.
The program emphasized appreciation for what Survivors teach us, how the community steps up to support our Survivors and the responsibility to ensure that the lessons we learn will resonate for generations to come.
Sue Wendel and Dan Sharp, representing the Next Generations Group and 3GPNW, reflected on the enduring impact of Survivors’ experiences and the responsibility of the following generations to carry these lessons forward. Keynote speaker David Fuks, longtime Jewish community leader and a child of Survivors, spoke about the unique strength and resilience of Survivors, and our appreciation for all we have gained from the Survivors in our community.
As a touching tribute, each Survivor received a personalized certificate proclaiming that a tree was planted in the Jerusalem Forest in their honor. David Fuks referenced the story of an older man who is planting a carob tree. Someone walked by and asked, “why are you planting a tree that takes 70 years to bear fruit, if you won’t be around to benefit from it?” The older man replied, “I benefit from trees that were planted from those who came before me, and I will plant this tree for the generations that come after me.” JFCS chose to plant trees in Israel as a testimony to our Survivors’ resilience and the enduring hope they inspire- a unique legacy that we receive from the Survivors who live in our midst.
After Survivors were gifted with their certificates, in perhaps the most poignant part of the program, all Survivors in attendance posed for a group photo. Some were holding back tears of emotion as they smiled at the camera. With Am Yisrael Chai playing in the background, it couldn’t have been a more fitting time to capture a photo of our community’s pillars of strength. The Jewish community will continue to thrive, and continue to be strengthened, when we reflect on the powerful lessons of resilience that our Holocaust Survivors teach us.
This event was made possible through a generous grant from Seed the Dream Foundation. Thank you to Kavod Shef for its support to Portland Holocaust Survivors. Thank you to the ongoing support of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany for funding the JFCS Holocaust Survivors Services program. Thank you to the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland for their partnership and support, and for organizing freshly made challahs to be distributed at the event to all Survivors in attendance.
JFCS appreciates all the staff and volunteers who assisted at this event, and all the guests who attended, becoming a vital link in promoting the mission of Holocaust Survivor Day.
Photos courtesy of Rowdy Webb
