Holocaust Remembrance Day

Date shown for 2025 is estimated as the official date has not been finalized as of September 2024.

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) History

Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah, aims to honor the victims, educate future generations about the atrocities, promote human rights, and prevent future genocides. This day also serves as a solemn commemoration for the six million Jews who were systematically murdered during the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. Additionally, this day highlights the resistance and resilience of the Jewish people who survived, the Righteous Among the Nations who helped them, and the liberation by Allied forces.

Holocaust Remembrance Day has an important particular significance for people in America. The United States played a crucial role in ending World War II and liberating the concentration camps, but it also struggled with its own issues of anti-Semitism and isolationism prior to the war. The observance is an opportunity to remember and learn about the Holocaust, its roots, and its aftermath, in order to understand the importance of standing up against hate and prejudice in all its forms. U.S. educators, institutions and communities typically organize a variety of educational events and memorial ceremonies to facilitate this.

In the United States, the U.S. Congress established the Days of Remembrance, a week-long observance, which includes Yom HaShoah, to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Activities during the week include name readings of Holocaust victims, educational programs, communal prayer services, and more, as a way to remember and honor the victims and survivors, and to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed annually in accordance with the Hebrew Calendar, on the 27th of Nisan, which falls in April or May in the Gregorian calendar.

Facts about Holocaust Remembrance Day

• During Yom HaShoah, public entertainment like theater shows or concerts aren't permitted in Israel. TV and radio programming are dedicated to documentaries, interviews with survivors, and Holocaust-themed films.
  
• The theme for Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2023 was Ordinary People.
• Yom HaShoah is an Israeli Festival, as opposed to an ancient Jewish festival. Yom HaShoah was inaugurated sixty years ago in 1953. It was instituted by the Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and the President Isaac (Yitzchak) Ben Zvi. The Ancient fast of the Tenth of Tevet (December) is the day on which the siege of Jerusalem commenced, prior to the destruction of the Holy Temple. Many Jews commemorate the Holocaust on this day.
• In Israel, on the Eve of Yom HaShoah, a siren is sounded, followed by an official memorial service headed by the Prime Minister, President, Army Officials and Holocaust survivors. The service includes speeches, Kaddish and El Maleh Rachamim (memorial prayers) and the Hatikvah (Israel National Anthem). Another siren is heard in the morning, followed by various memorial services.
• The date of Yom HaShoah was originally planned to commemorate the Warsaw Uprising (April 19, 1943), but was postponed until April 27th due to the clash with the Passover Festival, which commences on the next day.

In the News and Trending for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Top things to do for Holocaust Remembrance Day

• Attend a local memorial service. Tip: find one in your community by doing an internet search for Yom Hashoah.
• Watch a movie about the Holocaust. Some popular picks: Schindler's List (1993), Auschwitz (2011), The Boy is Striped Pajamas(2008), Life is Beautiful (1997) and The Pianist (2002).
• Many communities read a list of those who perished in the camps and Ghettos. One way to commemorate the Holocaust is to browse the names in the Yad Vashem (Israel's Memorial to the Holocaust) names Database.
• Watch the mini-series Holocaust starring Meryl Streep. It depicts the story of a Jewish family's struggle to survive the Nazis.
• Donate to a charity that serves holocaust survivors or promotes education about the holocaust.