JERUSALEM (AP) — In a poignant video message recorded just weeks before his untimely death, Hollywood legend Rob Reiner called on Holocaust survivors to remain strong amid challenging times. This heartfelt plea was made during a Hanukkah ceremony on Thursday.

Tragically, Reiner and his wife, Michele, were discovered fatally stabbed at their Los Angeles residence on Sunday, according to law enforcement authorities. Their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, now faces two charges of first-degree murder and is currently held without bail.

A proud member of the Jewish community, Reiner recorded his message for the Hanukkah event in early October. He reflected on the deep personal significance of the ceremony, noting that members of his wife’s extended family perished in Auschwitz during the Holocaust.

In his message, Reiner, known for his vocal support of liberal causes, expressed concern over the current state of affairs in the United States. “We’re living in a time 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,” he stated.

The message was shared during a global virtual candle lighting ceremony on the fifth night of Hanukkah, dedicated to honoring Holocaust survivors. This event was organized by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, a group committed to advocating for Holocaust survivors worldwide.

Around 100 Holocaust survivors gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon for a candle-lighting ceremony.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century B.C., after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.

Jews celebrate the eight-day holiday, which this year began on Sunday, by lighting a nightly candle in honor of the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the Temple that lasted for eight nights, instead of just one.

Many Jewish communities are reeling from the attack on a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, where 15 people were killed.

“Even in these difficult days, when antisemitism is rising and Jewish communities around the world are under attack — this very week on the first night of Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia — we draw strength and inspiration from you, the survivors, from your personal and collective resilience,” Greg Schneider, the executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told the group of survivors in Jerusalem.

In addition to Reiner, Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Jason Alexander, Julianna Margulies, Debra Messing, Adam Arkin and Jamie Lee Curtis were among those who made prerecorded videos for the event. Journalists Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash also recorded messages.

“If ever we needed to be resilient, it’s now,” Reiner said in his message. “Let’s be resilient.”

Reiner was a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him in a 2017 interview with Variety “mentally unfit” to be president and “the single-most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States.” In a shocking post after Reiner’s death, Trump suggested that Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition was partially responsible for his murder.