10 April 2018
The official Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day will take place on Wednesday, 11 April 2018 at 20:00, in Warsaw Ghetto Square, Yad Vashem, Mount of Remembrance, Jerusalem. Instructions for journalists attending the ceremony may be found below.
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will both deliver remarks at the Opening Ceremony. Yad Vashem Council Chairman Rabbi Israel Meir Lau will kindle the Memorial Torch. Zipora Nahir will speak on behalf of the survivors.
During the ceremony, Holocaust survivors will light six torches. First torch: Mirjam Lapid, second torch: Shmuel Bogler, third torch: Thea Friedman, fourth torch: Raul Teitelbaum, fifth torch: Yisaschar Dov Goldstein, sixth torch: Abba Naor. During the ceremony, short videos about each of the torchlighters will be shown. These videos were produced and directed by Shlomo Hazan, and will be available on the Yad Vashem website in the section dedicated to Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Singers Meshi Kleinstein and Amir Dadon and the IDF Paratroopers’ Honor Guard will participate in the ceremony, which will also include narrative pieces by actor Dror Keren. The evening’s MC will be Sara Beck.
The ceremony will feature a traditional memorial service, including the recitation of a chapter from Psalms by Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi David Lau. The Rishon LeZion, Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef will recite the Kaddish mourner's prayer, and Cantor Zvi Weiss will recite El Maleh Rahamim, the Jewish prayer for the souls of the martyrs.
Yad Vashem will broadcast the Official Opening Ceremony live with simultaneous translation into English and French. The live feed will be accessible via Facebook and Yad Vashem's YouTube Channel or through the Yad Vashem mini-site dedicated to Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day. This mini-site comprises information about the events and ceremonies taking place during Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as relevant educational materials.
The Opening Ceremony will be broadcast live on Israeli television on Channels 11, 12, 13, 14, 9, 33 and 20, and via the Ynet and Walla News websites, as well as on Kan Radio and Galei Zahal. It will last about 75 minutes.
Yad Vashem continues to call on the public to fill out Pages of Testimony to commemorate the names of Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Volunteers are available to help Holocaust survivors submit Pages of Testimony. For more information: +972-2-6443111
Yad Vashem is also continuing the Gathering the Fragments campaign in an effort to rescue more Holocaust-related documents, artifacts, photographs and artworks, and interview, document and record video testimonies of survivors. For more information or to schedule a session: +972-6443888, testimonies@yadvashem.org.il
MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS
Entrance for Journalists to the Official Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, 11 April, at 18:00
ALL PRESS MUST PRE-REGISTER WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION AT YAD VASHEM Tel: 02-6443412 or Email: media.relations@yadvashem.org.il
YOU MUST BRING YOUR 2018 GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE CARD WITH YOU.
Shuttle Services will run from the Mt. Herzl Parking Lot starting at 18:00.
Private vehicles will not be admitted to Yad Vashem.
No firearms are permitted.
It is recommended to dress warmly.
Entrance for Journalists to the Wreath-Laying Ceremony on Thursday, 12 April 2017
Journalists should arrive to Yad Vashem at 08:00.
Please note cars will not be permitted to enter the site. Journalists and photographers can arrive via shuttle buses available for the public departing from the Mt. Herzl parking lot starting at 07:30.
ENTRANCE FOR JOURNALISTS WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WITH A VALID 2018 GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE CARD.
THERE WILL BE NO ENTRY TO THE CEREMONY AFTER 09:00.
The Wreath-Laying Ceremony on Thursday, 12 April 2018 will start promptly at 10:00 immediately following the siren,
Private vehicles will not be admitted to Yad Vashem.
No Firearms Permitted.
There will be a Pool Position during the wreath-laying ceremony – Reuters TV + UPI (Debbie Hill) Stills.
The Yad Vashem Campus will be accessible to the public from 10:30 via free shuttle services departing from the Mt. Herzl Parking Lot until the hour of 20:00.
Attached are details of Holocaust Remembrance Day events at Yad Vashem.
Holocaust Remembrance Day Schedule
Thursday 12 April
10:00 Siren
10:02 Wreath-laying ceremony with the participation of Israel’s Deputy President, Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, President of the Supreme Court, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Chief of Police, Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mayor of Jerusalem, representatives of survivor and fighter organizations and delegations from throughout the country—Warsaw Ghetto Square
11:00–12:45 “Unto Every Person There is a Name” Recitation of Holocaust victims’ names by members of the public—Hall of Remembrance
11:00 “Unto Every Person There is a Name” Recitation of Holocaust victims’ names under the auspices of the Speaker of the Knesset—Knesset
11:00-14:30 "Behind-the-Scenes"
Throughout Holocaust Remembrance Day, 12 April, special guided tours and behind-the-scenes gatherings will be open to the public. The events will take place in Hebrew and are free of charge. For the full listing and times please check the Yad Vashem website in the section on Behind-the-Scenes (available only in Hebrew).
13:00 Main memorial ceremony—Hall of Remembrance
17:30 Ceremony for youth movements in the presence of the Minister of Education, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education’s Youth and Social Administration and the Youth Movement Council—Valley of the Communities
Admission by personal invitation only
Throughout the day, Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies will be running a variety of activities for educational groups from Israel and abroad.
"Memory Through the Lens" Photography Exhibition – A joint project of the Ort Israel Network and the International School for Holocaust Studies, The Family Plaza
Exhibitions at Yad Vashem
"Flashes of Memory: Photography during the Holocaust" - Exhibitions Pavilion
