18 January Founding conference of the Public Council on Holocaust Survivor Contributions to the State of Israel, in the presence of Supreme Court President Prof. Aharon Barak, with the participation of Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev, Deputy Chairman of the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors Zeev Factor, Jewish Agency Treasurer Shai Hermesh, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, March of the Living President Avraham Hirschson MK, and Director of Military Intelligence Aharon Zeevi Farkash.
The project aims to locate and collect archival material and preserve the personal archives of Holocaust survivors, new immigrant organizations and institutions that dealt with the absorption of survivors in Israel. In addition, project organizers aim to raise public awareness of the survivors’ contribution to building the State of Israel; create the necessary infrastructure for scholars to research and document Holocaust survivor contributions in various fields; and initiate memorial activities, study days and seminars on the subject. The Council is composed of public figures, Holocaust survivors, members of the next generations and others. Prof. Aharon Barak, project administration chair Moshe Sanbar, project academic advisor Prof. Hanna Yablonka, and Council head Aryeh Mintkowitz spoke at the founding conference, which was facilitated by project director Zvi Gil. The event also included music from Andre Haidu’s Heralding of the King, played by Roman Kachman (clarinet).

1 February Symposium marking 60 Years Since the Rescue Activities of Righteous Among the Nations Raoul Wallenberg, in the presence of Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky, the Swedish Ambassador to Israel H.E. Mr. Robert Rydberg, and Avner Shalev. During the event, which took place in the Knesset auditorium, a special session was held discussing the work of Wallenberg and the efforts to locate him, with the participation of Yosef (Tommy) Lapid MK, representatives of the Wallenberg family and researchers from Yad Vashem. In addition, a joint meeting on the subject was held, with the participation of the Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora headed by Colette Avital MK, and the Committee for Education and Culture headed by Meli Polishook-Bloch MK.

10 February Ceremony honoring Righteous Among the Nations Giovanni Palatucci, who rescued Jews while serving as an officer in the Italian police. The title and medal were granted by Yad Vashem Council Chairman Prof. Szewach Weiss to Italian Police Commissioner Giovanni De Gennaro, as Palatucci had no surviving family. The ceremony was held jointly with the Israel Police and the Italian Embassy in Israel, in the presence of Italian Minister of the Interior Giuseppe Pisanu, Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra, Italian Police Commissioner Giovanni De Gennaro, the Israel Chief of Police, and survivor Elizabeth Quitt-Ferber.

24 February Study day commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liquidation of the Lodz Ghetto, and marking the publication of the book Lodz—the Last of the Polish Ghettos, by Michal Unger.