Today marks Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, when we honor the memory of the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators, and recall the heroism of the sons and daughters of the Jewish people who rose up in rebellion and fought to the last drop of blood. In the State of Israel, this day is recognized as a national day of remembrance, officially established by the Knesset through the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day Law in 1959.
Originally, it was planned to designate this day on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which began in April 1943. However, the start of the uprising coincided with the beginning of Passover, making it an unsuitable date for a national day of mourning. Therefore, in April 1951, the Knesset decided to set the date as the 27th of Nisan — the sixth day after the end of Passover — and named it the “Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Ghetto Uprisings.” A week after this date, Israel celebrates Independence Day. In 2025, Yom HaShoah is observed in Israel from the evening of Wednesday, April 23. The close proximity to Independence Day symbolically represents the historical transition of the Jewish people from Holocaust to Rebirth.
Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day begins at sunset and ends the following evening, with the appearance of the stars.
In Israel, the day is marked with ceremonies and memorial rallies. The national flag is flown at half-mast, and television and radio stations broadcast exclusively programs about European Jewry during World War II — about their heroism, their suffering, and their legacy. The central theme of this year’s Yom HaShoah is:
“From the Depths: The Pain of Liberation and Rebirth — 80 Years Since the Defeat of Nazi Germany.”
