Story and Photos by Pat Krause

The Mensch International Foundation held its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration at the Palm Desert Civic Park Amphitheater on January 27th. The event emcee was Steve Geiger, Founder/Director of the Mensch Foundation. There were many speakers as several hundred people lined the hillside to listen.

The event started with a story by Steve Geiger until the actual program began. Geiger introduced Ezra Yaron, cantor and soloist who sang the Star-Spangled Banner and a Jewish song as guests sang along with him. Palm Desert Mayor Jan Harnik, Rancho Mirage Mayor Ted Weill and Palm Spring Mayor Lisa Middleton. Each expressed their thanks from their city and city council for attending.

Jan Harnik spoke about how education and being remembered by people and our youth were important. Education would be vital in letting this atrocity and evil never happen again. Speaker Lisa Middleton told a story that her friend told her years ago. The report said that while evil was rampant in the concentration camp, there was one bright spot of kindness when given an Orange in the Camp. One act of kindness shows how we should also show Kindness and Love.

Ted Weill said Rancho Mirage was proud to host this Holocaust Remembrance Day. Other speakers also told stories and said Education and Remembering were so important in our lives today. Anti-Jewish people all over the world are still out there. Of the 1.3 million people sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, 1.1 million were killed. On January 27th, 1945, the Russian Red Army liberated the Camp. The Nazis killed over 6 million Jews and millions of others. The cry is NEVER FORGET.

Henry Friedman is a Holocaust survivor and told how he lived because a Christian family risked their lives to save him. He is the Co-Founder of the Seattle Holocaust Center and author. Friedman spoke of his village of 10,00 people, and there were only 81 still alive after the war. He told about people who moaned and screamed while still alive as dead bodies were placed over them. His story shows what evil men can do against other men, women and even children. His book recounts some of this time.

Other speakers were Rabbi Benny Lew Chabad of Rancho Mirage, Joseph Gole, Cantor Har-el, Amit Mekel, Representative from the L.A. Consulate General of Israel. Steven Rosenberg of Temple Isaiah and Rabbi David Novak from Temple Sinai.

Geiger gave the 2021 Mensch Awards to Lily Jones on Stage and Kyle Knight, who could not attend. Last year the event was virtual because Covid was happy it could be held outdoors this year. The event ended with a walk to the Racho Mirage Holocaust Museum and the lighting of candles.