Yom HaShoah: A Day of Remembrance and Reflection

This week, the Jewish community will observe Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day—a solemn occasion that commemorates the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, along with the millions of other innocent lives lost during one of history’s darkest chapters. Beginning at sundown on Wednesday, April 23, and continuing through Thursday evening (April 24), this day serves as both a memorial and a call to moral responsibility.

Yom HaShoah is marked by ceremonies, prayers, and moments of silence held in synagogues, schools, and community centers. Many gather to light memorial candles, recite names of Holocaust victims, and share the personal stories of survivors. These acts are powerful reminders of the real people—families, children, artists, scholars—whose lives were senselessly destroyed, and they help ensure that the memory of the Holocaust is never forgotten.

For those outside the Jewish community, Yom HaShoah is an opportunity to reflect on the devastating effects of hatred, bigotry, and silence. It is a day that reminds us all to remain vigilant in protecting human dignity, to speak out against antisemitism and all forms of prejudice, and to build a society rooted in compassion, tolerance, and truth.

In a time when the voices of survivors grow fewer, our responsibility to listen—and to teach their stories—grows stronger. We invite our neighbors across all faiths and backgrounds to join in this moment of remembrance, to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community, and to reaffirm a shared commitment to never forget.

Let us come together not only to mourn those we lost but to recommit ourselves to a world where such tragedy can never happen again.