What Is Yom HaShoah?
The Fellowship | January 15, 2025
Beginning at sundown on April 23 and ending at sundown on April 24, 2025, Israel and Jews worldwide will observe Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. This solemn day, which falls on the 27th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar each year, honors the memory of the six million Jewish men, women, and children brutally murdered during the Holocaust.
Throughout Israel, life comes to a halt for two minutes at 10 a.m., when air raid sirens sound across the nation. People stop wherever they are—whether on foot, at work, or in their cars—standing in reflective silence to remember those lost. Flags are flown at half-mast, and communities gather for memorial ceremonies, where Holocaust survivors share their stories, and participants light six candles—one for each million Jewish lives taken.
Yom HaShoah is more than just a day of remembrance—it’s a call to ensure that we never forget and that never again will such atrocities be allowed to happen. This day is also a reminder of the importance of supporting Holocaust survivors still living among us, many of whom face challenges in their later years.
Watch as Fellowship President and CEO Yael Eckstein discusses with her daughter, Meyora, the importance of remembering the Holocaust and the many lessons that we can learn today from that horrific past.
‘Never Again!’
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of children, whose bodies I saw turned to wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.” Elie Wiesel, Night, (New York: Hill & Wang, 1960), 43–44.
It has been nearly 80 years since the Holocaust. For some, the events remain real and ever-present. For others, the Holocaust seems like ancient history. But, since those horrific events, the Jewish people have adopted a motto: Never Again!
Never again will they allow such a catastrophe to occur. From the ashes of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Dachau, Belzek, and other Nazi death camps, the Jewish people have vowed to live. As Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein wrote in his book, How Firm a Foundation, “Like the psalmist long ago, Jews today collectively declare, ‘I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done’” (Psalm 118:17).
A Day to Remember: The Origin of Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, was inaugurated in 1951 as a day set aside to memorialize the six million Jews murdered during the Nazi reign of terror. The original proposal called for Yom HaShoah to be held on the fourteenth day of Nisan on the Jewish calendar, the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising (April 19, 1943).
This was problematic because this is the day immediately before Passover, one of the most important holidays of the Jewish year. After much debate, the date was moved to the 27th of Nisan, which is eight days before Israel Independence Day and a week after Passover.
As befits the event it commemorates, Yom HaShoah is a solemn day. Some Jewish people light six candles to represent the six million Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust. Survivors of the Holocaust are encouraged to share their stories. Public ceremonies feature people reading the names of some of those murdered in the Holocaust in an effort to remember those who died and help others understand the immensity of this horrible event.
In 1961, a law was passed in Israel that requires all public entertainment venues to be closed on Yom HaShoah to maintain the solemnity of the day. At 10 a.m., sirens are sounded throughout the nation and everyone in Israel stops what they are doing for two minutes to stand in silent remembrance.
As Rabbi Eckstein wrote in How Firm a Foundation, “All Jews alive today regard themselves as Holocaust survivors since Hitler’s plan was genocidal—to eradicate the entire Jewish nation. All bear the awesome responsibility of telling the story of those excruciating years” (p.170).
Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel
The observance begins at sundown, following Jewish tradition, and the next morning at 10 a.m., air raid sirens sound for two minutes across the country. All activity halts—drivers stop their vehicles on highways, pedestrians stand still, and businesses, schools, and offices pause. This moment of silence is a collective act of mourning and unity, a reminder that the memory of the Holocaust is shared by the entire nation.
Ceremonies take place at Yad Vashem – Israel’s Holocaust memorial – military bases, schools, and synagogues. At many of these ceremonies, six symbolic torches are lit to represent the six million Jews who perished. Another important tradition is “Unto Every Person There Is a Name,“, where participants read aloud the names of individual victims, ensuring they are remembered not just as a statistic but as people with unique identities and lives. Survivors often share their personal stories at these events, passing on their experiences to ensure future generations never forget.
The day also commemorates acts of heroism, including the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Prayers such as the Kaddish, recited for the dead, and El Maleh Rachamim, a memorial prayer for the souls of the victims, are integral to many of these ceremonies.
Throughout the day, Israeli television and radio stations broadcast documentaries, interviews with survivors, and programs about the Holocaust. Public entertainment venues remain closed to maintain the solemn tone. Flags are flown at half-mast across the country, further marking the weight of the day.
Yom HaShoah concludes at sundown, but its message resonates far beyond. It is not just a call to remember but a warning to confront anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms. By observing this day, Israelis reaffirm their commitment to honor the legacy of those lost and ensure that the phrase “Never Again” becomes a reality for future generations.
Explore our TV show episodes featuring powerful survivor stories and interviews with those whose lives were shaped by the Holocaust. Watch now to discover personal accounts of resilience, remembrance, and the enduring lessons of Yom HaShoah.
How to Observe Yom HaShoah as a Non-Jew?
Yom HaShoah offers an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to honor the memory of the Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Participating as a non-Jew is an act of solidarity and reflection, ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust endure for future generations. Here are meaningful ways to engage:
Observe the Moment of Silence
Wherever you are, join the people of Israel at 10 a.m. local time by pausing for two minutes of silence. This aligns with the national moment of reflection observed throughout Israel and is a powerful way to honor the memory of Holocaust victims.
Light a Candle in Remembrance
Lighting a candle is a personal way to reflect on the six million lives lost. This can be done privately at home, in a local synagogue, or as part of a larger ceremony.
Support Holocaust Survivors
Many Holocaust survivors face challenges in their later years. Consider donating to The Fellowship and other organizations dedicated to their care.
Participate in “Unto Every Person There Is a Name”
Join the tradition of reading aloud the names of Holocaust victims at community events or privately. This act ensures each person is remembered as an individual with a name and story—not just a statistic.
Share the Message on Social Media
Raise awareness by sharing survivor stories, reflections, or quotes on social media. Use hashtags like #YomHaShoah, #NeverAgain, #NeverForget, and #HolocaustRemembrance to amplify the message of remembrance.
How Do We Respond to the Holocaust?
But how does one address something so devastating: something that is at once unfathomable, yet real; something unspeakable that we nonetheless must discuss in order to prevent it from ever happening again?
Recommended: Never Forget, Never Again
Rabbi Eckstein wrote, “The appropriate way to confront the Holocaust is first through silence and then through well-considered words. Only after mourning the terrible loss dare we speak of that tragedy; only after reverential silence may we risk talking about it” (Ask the Rabbi, p. 152).
Of the many Jewish responses to the Holocaust, support for Israel is perhaps the most widely accepted and deeply felt. “Israel is the symbol of the contemporary Jewish resolve to live after having been tormented and persecuted for centuries. She epitomizes the Jewish rebirth as a dynamic, living people … The existence of Israel goes to the very core of Jewish identity today,” stated Rabbi Eckstein in How Firm a Foundation (pages 196–97).
In the same manner, supporting the beleaguered state of Israel after the Holocaust is one of the most profound acts of friendship Christians can extend toward Jews.
Noted Christian historian Franklin Littell wrote, “It is not possible to love a ‘Spiritual Israel’ and hate the earthly Israel. It is not possible to honor and obey the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and wish evil to the Jewish people. To lay it on the line: it is not possible to side with those who seek Jerusalem’s destruction and be numbered a faithful Christian. It was not possible in the Germany of the Third Reich, and it is not possible today in America.” [Franklin Littell, Christians Concerned for Israel, Notebook (April 1971): 1.]
The reality of the Holocaust challenges Christian and Jew alike to grapple with difficult and soul-searching questions that plumb the depths of faith. Again, Rabbi Eckstein wrote, “Is it possible for Christians and Jews to still believe in a God who is omniscient and omnipotent after His deafening silence when we needed Him most? Can we speak as we did earlier of God’s abundant love and concern for mankind? Can we talk of a good God guiding the course of history, while knowing that some events seem to reflect the utter absence of His love and guidance?”
Take our quiz on Yom HaShoah to discover its historical meaning and how it is observed today.
Faith Is the Answer
Nevertheless, Rabbi Eckstein stated that people of faith are compelled to confront such questions, trusting that both God and their faith in God can withstand the challenge.
Through his chapter entitled “Facing the Challenges of the Holocaust” in How Firm A Foundation, Rabbi Eckstein concluded, “The primary imperative Jews have elicited from the Holocaust is to live, and never allow a similar Holocaust to occur again.” And likewise for the Christian.
Again, Rabbi Eckstein wrote, “The primary imperative to be elicited by Christians from the Holocaust is equally as compelling as is that of the Jews—to expunge any and all traces of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism from their midst … They, too, are divinely obligated to ensure Jewish survival and to prevent a future Holocaust.
