4/27/25 at noon at VCJC.

We will host a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance) Lecture on Sunday, April 27 at 12:00 PM. The featured speaker will be Sonja Geismar, who will recount her family’s harrowing journey aboard the MS St. Louis, the refugee ship that was tragically turned away by several nations—including the United States—in 1939 as Jewish passengers fled Nazi Germany, and more little known stories ofher family’s escape.

This deeply personal and moving lecture is part of VCJC’s ongoing commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education. The story of the MS St. Louis remains one of the most powerful reminders of the consequences of indifference and closed borders in the face of persecution.

The event is free and open to the public. All community members, of every background and age, are encouraged to attend and honor the memory of the Holocaust’s victims and survivors. Yom HaShoah Day was observed on April 24th.