"It's unbelievable that people would still carry such hatred we have to learn to live together or fall apart," said David Wisnia, who escaped a concentration camp.
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Stefanie Seltzer hid from the Nazis.
"It brings back all the memories and the need to commemorate and the need to never forget," said Seltzer.
Sarah Melmer is also a survivor. The news that Saturday a gunman killed one person and injured three in a San Diego synagogue almost left her speechless.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I think something horrible like this here, anywhere else but here in the U.S.," said Melmer.
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The memorial inside Rodeph Shalom synagogue is the first of its kind in the United States and normally the ceremony is held on the Parkway but because of the weather, it was moved indoors.
Organizers provided extra security in the wake of San Diego and Pittsburgh Synagogue shootings.
Rabbi Batya Glazer wants to remind people to never forget but to feel safe again.
"We understand the great pain, fear and concern that it causes in a place where you should feel the closest to your community and feel safe," said Glazer.