United Hebrew Congregation hosted the 2023 Yom HaShoah Holocaust remembrance ceremony on April 16. It marked the first in-person gathering since the pre-Covid 2019 Yom HaShoah.

During the ceremony, survivors and descendants lit candles in memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. The event also commemorated the heroism of survivors and rescuers.

Over 260 people attended, hearing from survivors, descendants and other guests. The theme, “Voices of Resistance,” was called out by several of the presenters, including descendant David Halpern, who said “Hitler did not win—we did, because we’re standing here today.”

Carol Staenberg, chair of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, told the gathering, “Today we pay tribute to survivors.”

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Survivor Eva Ashner and Dee Dee Simon, Missouri Holocaust Education and Awareness Commission

She reported that over 15,000 visitors have experienced the museum since its reopening last fall.