In Pre-Recorded Message, Rob Reiner Encourages Holocaust Survivors to Be Resilient
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Rob Reiner speaking in a pre-recorded message that was shared during the Claims Conference’s International Holocaust Survivors Night 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Famed Jewish Hollywood director Rob Reiner encouraged Holocaust survivors to “be resilient” in a video he recorded before he was killed that was shown for the first time on Thursday as part of The Claims Conference’s 9th annual International Holocaust Survivors Night.
Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead on Sunday at their home in Los Angeles. Their 32-year-old middle son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of his parents and is being held without bail. Reiner co-starred in the sitcom “All in the Family” before becoming the famous director behind movies such as “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Spinal Tap: The End Continues,” “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and “A Few Good Men.”
The Claims Conference, known officially as the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, is a nonprofit organization that, according to its website, seeks to “secure material compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world.”
In his message for the Claims Conference event, Reiner began by talking about his personal connection to the Holocaust. His wife’s mother survived Auschwitz while her extended family was murdered in the Nazi death camp. Reiner’s aunt was also in Auschwitz.
“If ever we needed to be resilient, it’s now,” Reiner said in his message. “We’re living in a time now where what’s happening in our country is scary and reminiscent of what we’ve seen happen in the past, and we just hope that we can all survive this and that we can hold on to our democracy. Let’s be resilient.”
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, said Reiner started working with the annual International Holocaust Survivors Night a few years ago. “He understood the importance of remembering the Shoah and honoring Holocaust survivors,” Schneider explained, using the Hebrew term for the Holocaust. “Shoah remembrance was deeply personal to Rob Reiner. Rob and Michele, we will carry on your values of acting with honesty, integrity, knowledge and education.”
The annual virtual event by the Claims Conference celebrates Holocaust survivors around the globe, while also honoring them for their sacrifice and contributions to the world. The special livestream program features a menorah lighting ceremony at the Western Wall in Israel and this year’s virtual event was co-hosted by actor and director Noah Emmerich, whose credits include “The Americans,” “The Truman Show,” and “Beautiful Girls.”
The livestream also paid tribute to Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, who was among the victims murdered on Sunday in the antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.
Seventeen Holocaust survivors from around the world spoke during the Claims Conference event, including survivors from The Netherlands and South Africa, and the theme of this year’s program was resilience. The livestream also featured celebrity guests such as Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Julianna Margulies, Jason Alexander, Tovah Feldshuh, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, and Patricia Heaton. There were musical performances from Grammy and Tony Award winner Barry Manilow and the New York-based a cappella singing sensation, Six13. Footage was also shown from a concert and ceremony by Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust, to honor Holocaust survivors, with music originally arranged by 105-year-old Auschwitz survivor and conductor László Roth.
Crystal was among a group of Reiner’s close friends in Hollywood, including Albert Brooks, Larry David, and Martin Short, who issued a joint statement following Reiner’s death. They remembered him as “not only a great comic actor” but also “a master storyteller” who drew on everything he learned from his father, famed actor Carl Reiner, and his mentor Norman Lear, the legendary producer who created and cast Rob in “All in the Family.”
“Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill. Tell us a story audiences demand of us,” the statement said, as cited by The Associated Press. “There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary, he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
They also said in part that his “comedic touch was beyond compare” and that “to be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy.”
“Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved; he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner,” the statement said. “Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens … They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever. There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea.”
