Yom Hashoah – 27 Nisan

Yom Hazikaron L’shoah V’l’giborah, or Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, takes place on the 27th of Nisan. It is often known simply as Yom HaShoah; “shoah,” Hebrew for destruction, is another name for the Holocaust. This day commemorates the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust. At the same time, it marks the anniversary of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. In Israel, a morning siren sounds, stopping all activity; people stand in honor of those who died. Jews around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting six candles in honor of the six million Holocaust victims. Many hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.