In 1979, the President’s Commission on the Holocaust, established by President Jimmy Carter, commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day in the US Capitol with an unprecedented ceremony attended by the President, the Vice President, and many members of Congress. Since 1979, civic ceremonies have been held in Washington, DC and in individual states and cities.
Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah. The Shoah is also known as the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning “sacrifice by fire.”
Some rituals associated with Yom Hashoah are still being created and vary widely among synagogues. Attempts have also been made to observe this memorial day at home. If you are unable to attend any memorial services, we suggest you light a yahrzeit (memorial) candle on this day.
On Thursday, April 16, at the Stein Assisted Living Residence we will be honoring Wilf Campus survivors, Catalina Rosner and Adele Brav, as well as lighting candles in memory of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. In addition to the 6 million who perished, campus survivors will also be lighting candles in memory of their loved ones and communities, these include Inge Markowicz, Helen Goodman, Jacob Weinglass, Adelel Brav, Catalina Rosner, and Martha Rotter.