On April 23, 2025, the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation hosted an interfaith event to commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed annually to honor the memory of the Holocaust’s victims and renew the commitment to prevent future atrocities. Organized in collaboration with SHAI, the JCC, Hadassah, and JCRC, the event was envisioned and brought to life by Edna Khalily, with the support of Deborah Horn, Randy Altmark, Tamara Tamburo, and Clara Pomerantz.
Keynote speakers included: Ofir Akunis, Consul General of Israel in New York, former member of the Knesset, and Minister of Regional Cooperation, who played a pivotal role in the Abraham Accords; Bonnie Ray Glogover, a Holocaust remembrance advocate and entrepreneur and creator of the I REMEMBER AGAINST GENOCIDE® bracelet; and Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi, author of It Happened in Italy and Holocaust educator recognized for documenting the untold stories of how Italians helped Jews survive the Holocaust. The evening’s emcee was Skye Ostreicher, a lobbyist turned media content creator.
Attendees were honored by the presence of Holocaust survivors Karin and Harry Arlin. Harry was interned in Ferramonti, an Italian-run concentration camp, and later joined the Allied forces, helping liberate the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip spoke passionately about the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel, while NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov addressed the alarming rise of antisemitism and reaffirmed her commitment to combating hate.
A central part of the ceremony was the Yellow Candle lighting, a solemn tradition to ensure we “Never Forget” the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. With more than 200 members of the community present, 13 candles were lit to remember not only the Jewish victims but also the over seven million non-Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. The ceremony also recognized the victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, and the 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
Candle lighting ceremony participants included:
- Consul General Ofir Akunis
- Edna Khalily (educator, author, and event creator)
- Randi Altmark (VP, OWHC)
- Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip
- NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov
- Bonnie Ray Glogover
- Suzanne Salner (daughter of Holocaust survivor Victoria Schneps, Long Island Media)
- Marina Chimerine
- Mayor Clara Pomerantz (Old Westbury)
- Michael Koblenz (Director of Religious School)
- Diane Hirsch
- Deborah Horn
- Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi
- Tamara Tamburo (author, The Italian Secret)
- Aileen Murstein
- Richard Fiderer
- Stu Mordfin
- Mindy Perlmutter
- Rabbi Michael Stanger
- Cantor Yossi Karavani
- Reverend TK Nakagaki (Buddhist Council of New York)
- Mr. & Mrs. Mehran Hakimian
- Jennifer S. DeSena, Town Supervisor
The evening also featured a musical performance of “Tower of Light” by Russell Daisey, an internationally renowned composer, singer, and pianist who has performed for Presidents Clinton and Bush, the Dalai Lama, and Elie Wiesel. His co-lyricist Dr. Judy Kuriansky is a noted clinical psychologist, author, and United Nations advocate.
This powerful evening was a moving tribute, bringing together diverse faiths and voices.
