Some 120 Holocaust survivors across Israel lit the fifth Hanukkah candle at the Western Wall on Thursday night, in a ceremony organized by the Claims Conference and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
The event, now in its ninth year, sought to strengthen national resilience and Holocaust remembrance, honor the victims of October 7, and confront the global rise in antisemitism, the organizers said.
Voices of survivors and organizers
“You show us all what personal and national resilience truly mean… We will maintain our faith and hope, and you will remain the compass for the entire Jewish people,” Tziona Koenig-Yair, the Claims Conference vice president in Israel, said.
Greg Schneider, CEO of the Claims Conference, added: “Holocaust survivors have shown the entire world the ability to turn suffering into purpose… As we salute them today, we also commit to our responsibility to ensure that Holocaust education continues and that the lessons they fought for are never forgotten.”
Dr. Anna Sapozhnikov, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated from Ukraine, shared her wartime story and emphasized the centrality of Israel for the Jewish people after all she endured.
Also attending were Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, and Colette Avital, chair of the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, alongside community leaders and volunteers supporting the survivors’ visit.
The Claims Conference continues to fund survivor welfare and Holocaust education initiatives worldwide, including new programs launched this year to connect survivors with social support.
Linking past and present
Organizers framed the ceremony within the context of the October 7 attacks and a documented surge in global antisemitism over the past two years. Recent monitoring has recorded thousands of antisemitic incidents worldwide since the attacks, a trend Jewish leaders warn requires sustained public vigilance and education.
Similar Western Wall events dedicated to survivors were held in previous years, with organizers emphasizing continuity and intergenerational responsibility to preserve testimony and educate the public.
“As we salute them today,” Schneider said, “we also commit to our responsibility… that the lessons they fought for are never forgotten.”