30 April 2019
Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs' And Heroes' Remembrance Day Begins at 20:00, 1 May 2019
"The War Within The War: The Struggle Of The Jews To Survive During The Holocaust" is the central theme for this year's commemoration ceremonies and events
The official Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day will take place on Wednesday, 1 May 2019 at 20:00, in Warsaw Ghetto Square, Yad Vashem, Mount of Remembrance, Jerusalem.
Israel’s President H.E. Mr. Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu will both deliver remarks at the Opening Ceremony. Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev will kindle the Memorial Torch. Zipora (Feiga) Granat (née Gershenfish) will speak on behalf of the survivors.
During the ceremony, Holocaust survivors will light six torches. First torch: Bela Eizenman; second torch: Shaul Lubovitz; third torch: Fanny Ben-Ami; fourth torch: Menachem Haberman; fifth torch: Sara Shapira; sixth torch: Yehuda Mimon. 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 2019.
Israeli singers Miri Mesika and Idan Rafael Haviv, as well as the IDF Paratroopers’ Honor Guard, will participate in the ceremony, which will also include narrative pieces by Israeli actor Tomer Kapon. The MC for the ceremony will be Hila Korach.
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 Yehonatan Heinowitz will recite El Maleh Rahamim, the Jewish prayer for the souls of the martyrs.
Yad Vashem will broadcast the State Opening Ceremony live with simultaneous translation into English, French, and Russian. 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 also be broadcast live via Israeli television on Channels 11, 12, 13, 9, 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: Tel. +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: Tel. +972-6443888, collect@yadvashem.org.il
Holocaust Remembrance Day Schedule, 2 May
10:00 Siren
10:02 Wreath-laying ceremony with the participation of Israel’s President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Knesset, President of the Supreme Court, representatives of survivor and fighter organizations and delegations from throughout the country and worldwide—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 (a similar event will take place at the same time in the Knesset in the presence of the Speaker of the Knesset)
11:00-13:45 "Behind-the-Scenes"
Throughout Holocaust Remembrance Day, 2 May, 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. Each event will be approx. 30 minutes long. 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 Israeli Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, 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.
Exhibitions at Yad Vashem
"Flashes of Memory: Photography during the Holocaust" - Exhibitions Pavilion
"They Say there Is a Land" – Longing for Eretz Israel during the Holocaust – Auditorim Exhibition Hall
