Repairing Vandalized Holocaust Memorial Fountain

We are forever thankful to our caring and diverse community who united lovingly and peacefully to help us repair our Holocaust memorial ritual hand washing fountain that was vandalized by a few misguided angry hateful individuals.


The response and input from our community has been well beyond my initial expectations.  What I have realized through this past week is the need and desire of so many people to make an individual difference by responding to this angry, hateful, violence with compassion and support to my family and our community. 


As I recall, there was one main message that my mother, Lillian, emphasized during the many presentations she made to students and adults about her experience surviving the Holocaust.  Mom would ask those in attendance to “Get rid of your anger, don’t carry it in your heart. Talk to a teacher or even a policeman. Because the anger can turn into hatred, and other bad things for your heart.  So get rid of your anger and start new.”

What I am hearing and feeling from so many people is an overall sadness about what would drive some individuals to do this type of hateful behavior to a Holocaust memorial.  I feel that this behavior amplifies the need to teach more people about the Holocaust, but do so in a manner that helps individuals to relate to the lessons that can be learned and applied to life today.  So it is not just repairing the vandalized fountain which is now happening, but educating and empowering individuals in today’s society on methods to get rid of their anger and hatred and how to be more proactive in making a difference when we see unjust actions being taken against the few.



So we will be taking the extra donations that we have received and will continue to receive and spend it on supporting lectures from Survivors and 2nd Generations of the Holocaust and other Genocides, and providing Mom’s  book; "From Nightmare To Freedom – Healing After The Holocaust" for free to students, teachers and library’s.   


We hope that by educating the new generations by using Lillian’s story, we can reduce the amount of anger in our society and promote a more peaceful and fairer world for everybody to enjoy.



This Go Fund Me is raising money to repair the Holocaust memorial fountain that was installed in honor of Lillian and Emil Judd, two beloved members of Sonoma County community who survived the Holocaust. 





The money raised will go towards the repair of the Holocaust memorial fountain. Any additional money raised will be used to help educate students about the holocaust.

We will follow Lillian's powerful yet simple message, to examine your heart and get rid of anger, before it has a chance to take root and push you into acts of hatred, which can lead to violence. If we see something unjust happening to someone else, it is our responsibility to take action to help and not just look the other way.

Lillian spent more than 25 years of her life going to many schools, colleges, and public organizations sharing her story, which can be found in her book, "From Nightmare to Freedom - Healing After the Holocaust." 

Photos are from Christopher Chung, The Press Democrat 2020