‘Every Person Has a Name’ Honors Holocaust Victims with 25-Hour Vigil

As dusk fell Saturday evening, scores of people gathered on the steps of Pasadena City Hall for a solemn tradition—the 25-hour community-wide Holocaust remembrance program, “Every Person Has a Name.”

The remembrance takes its title from the ‘70s poem of the same name by acclaimed Israeli poet Zelda Schneersohn Mishkowsky, originally entitled “Each of Us Has a Name.”

“This event continues to provide our entire community an opportunity to remember and honor those who were murdered during the Holocaust,” said Jason Moss, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation. “By saying their names out loud, we restore some of the dignity and humanity they lost.”

Organized by the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, the event began with speeches, prayers, and musical performances, launching an around-the-clock reading of the names of Holocaust victims. Volunteers then took turns reciting thousands of names—one by one—ensuring that the individuals behind the six million murdered Jews are remembered as more than a number.

Now in its seventh year, the event usually takes place in January to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. However, this year’s vigil coincided with the March 22 anniversary of the opening of Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, in 1933.

“We have a responsibility, knowing the history that we know, to stand up,” said Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo. “It’s not okay in Pasadena, it’s not okay in California, and it’s not okay anywhere.”

Participants included state legislators, U.S. Congress members, and civic leaders, who echoed a common theme: the rise in antisemitism and hate crimes today demands remembrance and action. “Seventy-six percent of American adults believe something like the Holocaust could happen again,” Moss said, referencing a survey from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. “That’s why we continue to hold this event.”

Congresswoman Judy Chu emphasized the importance of education, recounting her support for legislation like the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act and the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act. “By remembering these names over these 25 hours and reading them aloud, we ensure that these lives are not forgotten,” Chu said. “They are not numbers but individuals who lived, learned, and loved.”

State Assemblymember John Harabedian, drawing on his Armenian heritage, reflected on shared histories of genocide. “The perpetrators were not successful,” he said. “Both the Jewish and Armenian people survived.”

Harabedian underscored the need for allyship, saying, “Tonight, we are all Jewish,” he said. “Anytime we hear or see antisemitism, we are all Jewish.”

Throughout the 25-hour reading period, community partners including the Anne Frank L.A. Foundation, LA vs Hate, and the American Red Cross Holocaust Tracing Services offered educational exhibits and support. High school docents guided visitors through Anne Frank’s story, while American Red Cross volunteers helped families trace Holocaust-era records of lost relatives.

Robin Toma, Executive Director of the LA County Human Relations Commission, pointed to a troubling statistic: hate crimes in the county are at their highest in over 40 years. “It’s a broadside against all communities,” Toma said. “But we are also investing more than ever in anti-hate strategies.”

To date, the Federation estimates that it has read just over 48,000 names since the program began in 2019—less than 1% of the six million. “If we read all six million names,” Moss noted, “we would need to continue this nonstop for approximately the next 750 days.”

State Senator Susan Rubio, a longtime educator, stressed the importance of teaching accurate history. “If we don’t teach our students proper history, we leave it to others to teach it in a way that’s not accurate and is hurtful,” she said.

As the names continued through the night and into Sunday evening, the message resonated: remembrance is a collective responsibility. “This is our solemn promise,” said State Senator Sasha Renee Perez. “To refuse to let the hatred of the past creep into our present and future.”

At its heart, “Every Person Has a Name” was more than a commemoration, it was a call to stand together, speak out, and ensure that the horrors of the past are never repeated.