Yom HaShoah in Israel: May 3rd-4th, 2027

Yom HaShoah is Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day, a day which is marked across the country every year as a national holiday and day of remembrance. Yom HaShoah in Israel usually falls in late April or early May, and runs from sundown one day to sundown the next, according to the Jewish calendar. In 2027, Yom HaShoah in Israel will fall from sundown on May 3rd to sundown on May 4th.

Memorial events normally take place around the country, the most famous of which is at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial. During this ceremony, the President and Prime Minister deliver speeches, and Holocaust Survivors light six torches, which symbolize the six million Jews who perished.

Throughout the country, every school, military base, town, city, village, and public institution has a ceremony to mark the event. At 10:00 am, Israel famously comes to a halt when the siren is sounded around the country for two minutes. Even cars on the highways stop, and drivers stand in silence on the side of the road. This siren also sounds on Yom Hazikaron, the memorial day for fallen Israeli soldiers.

Yom HaShoah is a solemn time to be in Israel. The law prohibits places of public entertainment from being open either on the evening before or the day of Yom HaShoah, and the mood of the country changes dramatically during the period.

Most cultural institutions in Israel hold special events during Yom HaShoah.

An interesting resource for further information about Yom HaShoah is the Yad Vashem Website. It is usually possible to watch the main state ceremony online here as well.