Yom HaShoah Ceremony: Célia Parnes’ Speech Moves and Inspires
On April 13, the Holocaust and Jewish Immigration Memorial in São Paulo hosted a ceremony marked by deep emotion and remembrance: the Yom HaShoah. Organized by the Jewish community of São Paulo, the event brought together hundreds of participants, including young people, Holocaust survivors, community leaders, authorities, and representatives of civil society.
One of the most impactful speeches came from Célia Parnes, president of the São Paulo Jewish Federation (Fisesp), who emphasized the role of the Bom Retiro neighborhood as a place of rebuilding lives and the Memorial as a guardian of truth in times of distortion.
Another powerful moment was the testimony of Holocaust survivor George Legmann. Born in the Dachau concentration camp in 1944, he is part of the group known as the “Dachau babies,” children who survived after being born in Nazi camps. “I am living proof that life can flourish even amid absolute horror. I am here because someone believed a baby could survive, and that gave me the duty to tell this story,” he declared, moving the audience to tears and applause.
The ceremony concluded with the lighting of six candles in memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. Survivors, accompanied by young participants, led the ritual, symbolizing the transmission of memory to future generations.
At the same time, the Memorial inaugurated an exhibition conceived by the Dachau Memorial in Germany, highlighting one of the most singular episodes of Holocaust history: the birth and survival of seven babies in a system designed for death. Featuring 37 panels with documents and historical records, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on life, resilience, and humanity in the face of barbarism.
