Dozens of Holocaust survivors were honored on Thursday at Mid-Island Y JCC's annual Holocaust Survivor Celebration luncheon.

Ada Gracin was just 3 1/2 years old when she fled Poland. She was carried by her mother into a forest where bullets rained down. Gracin said her family had lived a very comfortable life, but “overnight, our lives changed.”

Zelda Polofsky said she hid in a ghetto with her family and was later hidden by a Christian farmer who kept her safe during World War II.

The two women were among dozens honored at the event. They shared wisdom decades in the making.

Gracin stressed the importance of tolerance.

“It’s so important not to breed hate,” she said.

Polofsky urged people to remember that “Life is very precious.”