The Phoenix Holocaust Association will hold its annual community-wide Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as the Yom HaShoah commemoration to honor the memory of those who perished during the Holocaust and recognize those who survived.

The program begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 16 at Congregation Beth Israel  at 10460 N. 56th St. in Scottsdale.

Attendees will select one of two concurrent sessions which will be followed by the commemoration including a procession of survivors, candle lighting in memory of the 6 million Jewish people killed during World War II, presenting the annual Shofar Zakhor Awards to recognize those who educate the community about the Holocaust, and musical pieces organized by Cantor Seth Ettinger of Congregation Beth Israel.

The two concurrent sessions preceding program are “Making an Emotional Connection to the Holocaust: Reflections of Local Survivors” and “Close Quarters: Victims and Perpetrators Sharing the Kitchen in Postwar Germany” with Loyola Marymount University professor Margarete Myers Feinstein. Selections can be made when registering for the commemoration on the Phoenix Holocaust Association website: phxha.com.

This year’s awardees are Alma Hernandez, a member of the Arizona House of Representatives who crafted and championed House Bill 2241, mandating Holocaust and genocide education which was signed into law in 2021.

Christine Harthun, arts education coordinator at Scottsdale Arts, is the other award winner and she has worked for many years connecting Holocaust survivors to classrooms across the Valley with the Hope Chest program and an exhibit at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

“We are excited to be holding the commemoration in person this year after several years of virtual programs. Many congregations and community organizations are partnering with Phoenix Holocaust Association this year which is outstanding,” program chair Eva Flaster, a member of the PHA board of directors, said in a written statement. “We look forward to having many survivors of the Holocaust participate in the concurrent session as well as in the candle lighting.”

Organizations partnering in the program include the ADL, Bureau of Jewish Education, Arizona Jewish Historical Society, ASU Hillel, Beth El Congregation, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy, Congregation Kehillah, Congregation Or Tzion, Temple Beth Shalom in the West Valley, Temple Kol Ami, Temple Solel, Temple Chai, Congregation Beth Israel, and ASU Genocide Awareness Week.