Commemoration

Commemorative Sites 

Built during the first decade of Yad Vashem's existence, The Hall of Remembrance is a solemn tent-like structure that allows visitors to pay their respects to the memories of the martyred dead. On the floor are the names of some of the Nazi murder sites throughout Europe, and in front of the memorial flame lays a crypt containing ashes of victims. Memorial ceremonies commemorating specific events in the Holocaust are held in the Hall of Remembrance. Heads of State, official visitors of the State of Israel and survivor organizations come to the Hall of Remembrance to identify with the memory of Holocaust victims.  In later years, other monuments have been established at Yad Vashem, expressing different elements of the Holocaust:

·         The Pillar of Heroism (1968), which commemorates the courage of the fighters in ghettos, camps and the resistance, the partisans in the forests, the soldiers, and the rescuers

·          Warsaw Ghetto Square (1976) which is used till today for the official opening ceremony of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day

·         The Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers and Partisans Who Fought Against Nazi Germany was inaugurated in 1985

·         In 1987 a monument dedicated to children was inaugurated - the Children's Memorial, which commemorates the one and a half million children murdered in the Holocaust

·          The Valley of the Communities (1992) was built in order to commemorate not only the dead but also the life, which was cut off, and the rich and dynamic Jewish world, that was destroyed.  The Valley is spread over 2.5 acres, and engraved on its stone walls are the names of over 5000 Jewish communities. 

Top Israeli planners and architects were employed in designing and constructing these monuments.

Commemorative Activities

Yad Vashem works with Holocaust survivors and the general public to coordinate commemorative events and to organize activities that commemorate the rich culture destroyed in the Holocaust.  In addition, symposia are arranged, plays and films are shown, and concerts are held with music written by musicians murdered in the Holocaust, and Jewish music and songs from the ghettos and camps.

Yad Vashem has an extensive internet site that hosts over 10,000 HTML pages and a comprehensive online Holocaust Resource Center. The site includes online exhibitions, commemorative activities and events, information about Yad Vashem’s departments, projects, as well as informative and useful materials for the visitor, the teacher, the student and the general public.

Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority