Yom Hashoah, the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Day began on the evening of Wednesday, April 23rd and is observed during the day on April 24th. It is marked a week after the seventh day of Passover, and a week before Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers).
The date was selected by the Knesset on April 12th, 1951. The full name became formal in a law that was enacted on August 19th, 1953. Although the date was established by the Israeli government, it has become a day commemorated by Jewish communities and individuals worldwide.
Since the early 1960s, the sound of a siren on Yom Hashoah stops traffic and pedestrians throughout the State of Israel for two minutes of silent devotion. The siren blows at sundown as the holiday begins and once again at 11 a.m. the following morning. All radio and television programs during this day are connected with the Jewish destiny in World War II, including personal interviews with survivors.
In his commemorative speech, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded that Israel again confronts “enemies bent on its destruction.”
