A Time for Silence, a Time for Speaking Up

Yael Eckstein  |  April 7, 2021

The Fellowship's Yael Eckstein looks up at the Babi Yar memorial in remembrance, Yom HaShoah

This week, the Jewish state and Jewish people observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Writing for our friends at Charisma, Yael says that we must remember this dark chapter of the past so that we can forge a better future, for God’s children and for the world:

Prior to coming to Israel, I hadn’t experienced anything like it before.

At 10:00 a.m. on Yom HaShoah—Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day—sirens sounded across the country, signaling that it was time to observe a minute of silence for our six million brothers and sisters, the victims of the Holocaust.

Everything stopped. Cars came to a halt in the middle of the highway. Work stopped in workplaces. Shoppers paused in malls and grocery stores. Children stood in their classrooms. Everyone bowed their heads in respect and introspection. It was eerily silent.

This moment, which takes place each year, has great power. It unites Israelis in a deep way, both with Holocaust victims and with each other. It’s as if we are all mourning lost family members together—and, of course, many of us are. Yom HaShoah is a very intense time for the people of Israel; it isn’t just another holiday that commemorates a historical event. For the Jewish people, this is personal. This is our story, the story etched on every Jewish person’s soul.

Even as Yom HaShoah calls us to silence, it actually calls us to speak out as well…

Read more of Yael’s Yom HaShoah message at Charisma.