"There are many museums in the world, but the source is here,
at Yad Vashem..the heart and the soul of Jewish memory."
Prof Elie Wiesel, Yad Vashem, 2002

The year 2003-5763 marks fifty years since Yad Vashem was established by an act of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). Thousands of heads of state, ambassadors, local and foreign dignitaries, along with millions of visitors have come to Yad Vashem during the past 5 decades. 

Yad Vashem has grown and expanded dramatically during this time, due in large part to the support of friends

around the world.  Featured in Special Focus are images of some of the official visitors who have come to Yad Vashem, friends who have supported Yad Vashem and special events that have taken place at Yad Vashem since its inception.

In addition Special Focus provides information about the history of Yad Vashem, its activities, and events to take place marking the Jubilee year.
Special Focus will be continuously expanded with pictures, stories, and updates.

Since its inception, Yad Vashem has been entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations. Housed in Yad Vashem's Archives and Hall of Names are the visual and written testimonies that bear witness to the terrible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Yad Vashem's extensive collection of Holocaust documentation has led to the groundbreaking research conducted on its premises. Soldiers, students, and teachers from around the world come to Yad Vashem to explore the significance of the Holocaust so that they can impart this knowledge to future generations. Yad Vashem has become a symbol of the unity of the Jewish people, attracting all segments of the population and serving as a source of identification for visitors from Israel and around the world.

For 50 years, Yad Vashem has been the leader in the fields of Holocaust education, commemoration, and research.

It contains the world’s largest repository of information about the Holocaust. Yad Vashem was recently awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement - A Unique Contribution to Society and to the State. Limor Livnat, the Israeli Minister of Education, stated that in its  50^th year, Yad Vashem "represents a symbol and a model of the unity of the Jewish people…it attracts all sections of the population and serves as a source of identification for individuals in Israel and worldwide." 

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