Wilf Honored at Voices of Hope Event

Survivors and their families gathered at The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford to preserve Holocaust memory.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Judaism

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a closed weathered book on a stone sill beside a tall window, quiet and somber in muted slate and cream. — Mark Wilf was honored Wednesday night at a Voices of Hope event at The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford, where survivors and families gathered to preserve Holocaust memory. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Mark Wilf was honored at a Voices of Hope event at The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford on Wednesday night. Survivors and their families met at the event to preserve Holocaust memory.

Why it matters

The event centers on passing survivor testimony to future generations as firsthand witnesses to the Holocaust grow fewer. It gives West Hartford residents a local setting to hear those accounts directly.

Nina Jacobs was smuggled out of a Nazi ghetto by her uncle at age 17 months, hidden under a large overcoat and passed to a Polish woman in the forest. Of 2,500 men selected for a train, 2,499 were sent to Auschwitz, according to accounts shared at the event.

The players

Voices of Hope

An organization dedicated to preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors through schools and community programs.

Mark Wilf

A businessman and philanthropist whose mother hid from the Nazis and whose father was held in a labor camp during the Holocaust.

The details

Survivors and their families shared personal stories at the Voices of Hope gathering. Peter Fishman's grandfather was forced onto a train to Auschwitz, and Mark Wilf's mother hid from the Nazis for a couple of years while his father was held in a labor camp.

Wednesday night: Mark Wilf honored at the Voices of Hope event in West Hartford.

Legacy of Testimony

Voices of Hope works to preserve survivor stories as the generation of firsthand witnesses to the Holocaust ages. This West Hartford event extends that effort into a local synagogue, where testimony is shared directly with the community.

West Hartford residents can attend community sessions where survivors tell their stories in person. Schools in the area also host survivor presentations that students can attend.

The takeaway

Hearing survivor accounts firsthand keeps Holocaust history tied to real people and places. Residents who want to learn more can seek out local programs that host survivor speakers.