Palm Desert hosts ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Palm Desert city officials hosted their 15th annual ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust’s victims at the Civic Center Park Monday at 11 am.

While today can be a sad day for some, for others it's an opportunity to spread a message of unity.

“I try to teach tolerance. Just because we are from another place, we’re all the same.”

Rickie Taras, Holocaust survivor

Rickie Taras was liberated from Auschwitz 80-years ago. But many unfortunately did not, including those closest to her.

“I lost my whole family to the Holocaust to Auschwitz. My father and I were the only survivors of two large families.”

Rickie Taras, Holocaust survivor

While Rickie was in Auschwitz, Ruth Hartz was trying to evade being captured.

“I was hidden in Nazi occupied France and I had to be in hiding and I was saved by very righteous gentlemen in a small village in southern France.”

Ruth Hartz, Holocaust survivor

Ruth now dedicates her life to teaching others about the history of the Holocaust, hoping the stories live on with each passing generation.

"People really have to learn from history. There were many holocausts throughout history and it can happen again.”

Ruth Hartz, Holocaust survivor

On January 27th, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration and death camp, was liberated by the Russian Red Army. Of the 1.3 million individuals sent to Auschwitz, 1.1 million died. In 2005 the United Nations designated January 27th as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, urging world countries to honor the 6 million Jewish victims and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.  

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