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"And to
them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial
... an everlasting name [a "yad vashem"], that
shall not be cut off." Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 by an act of the Israeli Knesset. Since its inception, Yad Vashem has been entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations. Situated on Har Hazikaron, the Mount of Remembrance, Yad Vashem is a vast, sprawling complex of tree-studded walkways leading to museums, exhibits, archives, monuments, sculptures, and memorials. Yad Vashem's Information Repositories The Archive collection, the largest and most comprehensive repository of material on the Holocaust in the world, comprises 60 million pages of documents, nearly 263,00 photographs along with thousands of films and videotaped testimonies of survivors. These may be accessed by the public and read and viewed in the appropriate rooms. The Library houses more than 88,000 titles in many languages, thousands of periodicals and a large number of rare and precious items, establishing itself as the most significant Holocaust library in the world. Holdings may be accessed by the public on site, and residents of Israel are entitled to limited borrowing privileges. The Hall of Names is a tribute to the victims by remembering them not as anonymous numbers but as individual human beings. The "Pages of Testimony" are symbolic gravestones, which record names and biographical data of millions of martyrs, as submitted by family members and friends. To date Yad Vashem has computerized 3.2 million names of Holocaust victims, compiled from approximately 2 million Pages of Testimony and various other lists. Education, Research and Publications The International School for Holocaust Studies is the only school of its kind in the world. With 17 classrooms, a modern multimedia center, resource and pedagogical center, an auditorium and over 100 educators on its staff, the school caters annually to over 100,000 students and youth, 50,000 soldiers, and thousands of educators from Israel and around the world. Courses for teachers are offered in 8 languages other than Hebrew, and the school also sends its professional staff around the world for the purpose of Holocaust education. The team of experts at the school is developing a variety of educational programmes and study aids on the Holocaust including advanced multimedia programs, maps, books, cassettes and other educational aids. The International Institute for Holocaust Research coordinates and supports research on national and international levels, organizes conferences and colloquia and publishes a variety of important works on the Holocaust, including memoirs, diaries, historical studies, a scholarly annual and such like. The Encyclopedia of Communities (Pinkasei Hakehillot) is a historical-geographical encyclopedia of the Jewish communities destroyed or damaged during the Nazi regime. Written and published in Hebrew by Yad Vashem, the volumes contain entries on every Jewish town and community, the aim being to commemorate each and every one of them. Each entry chronicles the history of the community from its inception until its annihilation. The project commenced over 25 years ago, and to date 18 volumes have been published, with several more in the advanced stages of preparation. The completed encyclopedia will have 32 volumes. The Yad Vashem Studies is a series of 31 volumes to date, comprising conference proceedings and scholarly articles on every aspect of the Holocaust. Yad Vashem also runs a Publications department, and has a growing catalogue of Hebrew and English publications including history books, diaries and document collections. Museums The Historical Museum is the central element of Yad Vashem. It presents the history of the Holocaust through photographs, artifacts, documents and audio-visual aids. The story is presented chronologically showing the progression of Nazi anti-Jewish policies from persecution to ghettoization and finally to systematic mass murder. The display places particular emphasis on Jewish responses in the Holocaust. The Art Museum is a testimony to the strength of the human spirit and holds the world's largest and most important collection of Holocaust art. It includes works of art that were created under the inconceivably adverse conditions of the Holocaust and a selection of works done after the war by Holocaust survivors and by other artists. Unique Memorial Sites The Hall of
Remembrance is a solemn tent-like structure which allows
visitors to pay their respects to the memories of the
martyred dead. On the floor are the names of the six death
camps and some of the concentration camps and killing sites
throughout Europe. In front of the memorial flame lies a
crypt containing ashes of victims. Memorial ceremonies for
official visitors are held here. Annual ceremonies: Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day: In 1953, the Israeli Knesset passed a law that provided for the commemoration of the Holocaust on the 27th Nissan, a date that usually falls towards the end of April or the beginning of May. It is marked at Yad Vashem by a solemn state ceremony at Warsaw Ghetto Square, attended by many dignitaries, in which the President and the Prime Minister of the State of Israel participate. The public is invited to attend, however tickets must be obtained in advance. These are available from Yad Vashem free of charge. The next morning, a wreath-laying ceremony is held in Warsaw Ghetto Square followed by the "Unto Every Person There is a Name" ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance where the public is invited to read out the names of Jewish Holocaust victims. The main traditional memorial ceremony is held in the Hall of Remembrance and the day concludes with a youth movement ceremony. Victory in Europe (VE) day: The Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8/9, 1945 is observed annually in a commemorative state ceremony held at the Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers at Yad Vashem. The special guests of the ceremony are the war veterans themselves. The public is cordially invited to attend. Future Plans: More than fifty
years have passed since the end of the Holocaust. Today we
live in an age of information, instant communication and
progressive technology. Having entered the 21st century, Yad
Vashem faces such basic questions as: what will be the fate
of Holocaust commemoration amongst members of the fourth
generation, both Jewish and non-Jewish? What place will it
occupy in the midst of the currents that are sweeping us
into the third millenium? Will remembrance be meaningful in
the context of contemporary events? How should we prepare
ourselves at this historic juncture? Yad Vashem has launched
the strategic program "Masterplan 2001" to meet
these challenges. It has six principle elements:
Guided tours
in English: Sunday 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Yad Vashem Closed on
Saturday and all Jewish Holidays |
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| Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |