Yad Vashem as a Focus for National Identity

Every year, Yad Vashem holds the official State ceremony opening the events of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day in Warsaw Ghetto Square, in the presence of the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Knesset, President of the Supreme Court, the Chief Rabbis, Government Ministers, Knesset members, the Chief of the General Staff, the Chief of Police, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Holocaust survivors, and other distinguished guests. The opening ceremony and the other ceremonies which take place at Yad Vashem in the course of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day (wreath-laying, name recitation, youth movements' ceremony etc), have become a central symbol and a focus for identity amongst the Israeli public. Yad Vashem contributes significantly to the planning of events for Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day through its designation of the annual theme, which individuals and organizations in Israel and abroad then use as a basis for their events and ceremonies. The official VE Day ceremony celebrating the Allied victory over Nazi Germany is held annually at the Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers in Yad Vashem, and is attended by veterans, including many immigrants from the former Soviet Union, for whom this is a very important, central event.

Over the years, the number of visitors to Yad Vashem has increased dramatically. Today, Yad Vashem is the most visited spot in Israel apart from the Western Wall.  Until the security crisis, over 2 million people - the majority being tourists from abroad - were visiting Yad Vashem annually. Yad Vashem has become synonymous with Holocaust remembrance, and has gained a hold in public awareness both in Israel and abroad. 

The Yad Vashem Visitors' Book bears the signatures of the world's greatest personalities, many of whom expressed their sincere feelings of moral obligation, indicating the deep significance the Holocaust holds for the different communities they represent.  A high point was the visit of the Pope to Yad Vashem in March 2000, during which the eyes of the world were fixed on Har Hazikaron. The Pope's speech at Yad Vashem constituted an important milestone in the complex process of the Church's confrontation with the Holocaust period and with Christian antisemitism, and in Judeo-Christian relations as a whole.

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