Yom HaShoah

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Yom HaShoah (יום השואה), also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, is a day of commemoration for the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. It is observed on the 27th day of Nisan, a month in the Hebrew calendar, which typically falls in April or May in the Gregorian calendar.

History

Yom HaShoah was established by the Israeli Knesset (parliament) in 1951. The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which began on April 19, 1943. The full name of the day is Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah (יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה), which means "Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day."

Observance

Yom HaShoah is marked by various ceremonies and events across Israel and the Jewish diaspora. In Israel, a siren is sounded at 10:00 AM, during which the entire country comes to a standstill for two minutes of silent reflection. Schools, military bases, and public institutions hold memorial services, and many people visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem.

In the United States and other countries, Jewish communities hold memorial services, educational programs, and candle-lighting ceremonies. The day is also marked by the recitation of the Kaddish, a traditional Jewish prayer for the dead, and the reading of names of Holocaust victims.

Significance

Yom HaShoah serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of remembering and educating future generations about this dark chapter in history. It is a day to honor the memory of the victims and to reflect on the resilience and heroism of those who resisted and survived.

Related Observances

• International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Observed on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
• Yom HaZikaron: Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, observed one week after Yom HaShoah.
• Yom HaAtzmaut: Israel's Independence Day, celebrated the day after Yom HaZikaron.

See Also

• Holocaust education
• Holocaust survivors
• Genocide
• Anti-Semitism
• Jewish history