Israel observed Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day on April 13 through a solemn state ceremony held at Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem memorial, with this year’s commemoration centering on the theme of Jewish family bonds.
Former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who serves as chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, began the ceremony by lighting the memorial torch. The observance also included special prayers for Israeli soldiers and families who have lost loved ones during the current conflict.
Event organizers selected “the Jewish family” as the 2026 theme to showcase both the devastation and strength of family connections throughout the Holocaust period. Speakers explained how Jewish families, which had traditionally served as pillars of stability and cultural identity, were torn apart by Nazi brutality through forced deportations, starvation, and violence that pushed children and parents into desperate survival situations.
Even amid this devastation, family bonds continued to provide emotional support in ghettos, concentration camps, and hiding places. Following the war’s end, Holocaust survivors made rebuilding family structures a priority as they worked to restore hope and cultural continuity.
President Isaac Herzog connected the ceremony’s theme to modern-day Israel, acknowledging that the commemoration occurred during wartime. He shared the story of Holocaust survivor Magda Baratz and her great-grandson, Master Sergeant Asaf Cafri, who lost his life in Gaza the previous year. Herzog portrayed the connection between a survivor who lived through Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen and a soldier who died protecting Israel as representing the Jewish people’s transformation from devastation to renewal.
The president also highlighted the Holocaust’s massive scope, noting that roughly six million Jews—representing one-third of the world’s Jewish population at that time—were killed. He stressed that Jewish identity has historically been built around shared family connections, historical memory, and common purpose.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Holocaust survivors as “giants of spirit” while contrasting Jewish defenselessness during the Holocaust with Israel’s current military capabilities. Netanyahu stated that Israel has absorbed the lessons of history and committed to preventing any future existential dangers, making reference to ongoing military actions against Iran and its regional partners.
The ceremony featured the customary lighting of six memorial torches representing the six million victims. Holocaust survivors joined by their family members lit each torch, creating a powerful symbol of both remembrance and ongoing legacy.
The annual observance concluded with messages emphasizing remembrance, resilience, and the continuing importance of family in Jewish culture, connecting Holocaust memory to Israel’s present and future.
