21 April 2006
The central theme for this year’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day is The Human Spirit in the Shadow of Death.
The Official Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day will take place on Monday, 24 April 2006, at 20:00, at the Warsaw Ghetto Square, Yad Vashem, Har Hazikaron, Jerusalem.
The President of the State of Israel Moshe Katsav and acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will address the participants. Professor Szewach Weiss, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, will kindle the Memorial Torch. Professor Walter Zwi Bacharach will speak on behalf of the survivors.
During the ceremony, six torches will be lit by Holocaust survivors: First torch: Chasia (Bielicka) Bornstein; second torch: Menachem Frenkel; third torch: Hedy (Engel) Hirsch; fourth torch: Uri Chanoch; fifth torch: Ester (Lipszyc) Burstein; sixth torch: Kalman Bar On. During the ceremony, short videos of the torchlighters’ testimonies will be shown (produced and directed by Levy Zini – “2 Shot”).
The official memorial service will take place during the ceremony. Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yonah Metzger will recite Psalms; the Rishon Lezion Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar will recite Kaddish. El Ma’aleh Rahamim will be recited by Cantor Asher Hainowitz.
Participants in the ceremony include the singer Miri Masika and the Keshet Eilon musicians. Narrative pieces: Shmil Ben Ari. The evening’s MC will be Yona Elian. The ceremony will be broadcast live on television on Channels 1, 2, and 10 and by radio on Kol Israel and Galei Zahal. It will last about one hour.
At 22:00, there will be a symposium in the auditorium at Yad Vashem entitled “The Human Spirit in the Shadow of Death—Concepts of Good and Evil through the Lens of the Shoah”. Panel participants will be Prof. Ella Belfer, Rabbi Dr. Daniel Hartman, Dr. Rachel Korazim, Roman Frister, Muki Tzur and the author Shoham Smith. Emanuel Halperin will chair the panel. The 2-hour discussion is open to the public and will be broadcast live on Galei Tzahal radio.
Beginning today, Yad Vashem will collect video testimonies from Holocaust survivors in their homes, and urges all survivors to schedule to contact Yad Vashem so that a session may be arranged. In past years, survivors were able to give testimonies at one of the studios set up for this purpose across the country. Yad Vashem also urges the public to submit Pages of Testimony in memory of victims of the Shoah that have not yet been memorialized in the Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names. Names may be submitted online at www.yadvashem.org, where the Names Database is accessible in Hebrew, English and Russian.
Information on Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as on-line exhibits, educational materials, video testimony and more is available at www.yadvashem.org.
MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS
Entrance for Journalists to the Opening Ceremony on Monday, April 24, 2006
Please note: Due to security restrictions, just one special minibus for journalists will depart from Mt. Herzl to Yad Vashem. Journalists should arrive at Mt. Herzl by 18:15–private vehicles will not be admitted to Yad Vashem.
ENTRANCE WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WITH A VALID 2006 GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE CARD.
(GPO cards will be checked upon boarding the minibus, in the Mt. Herzl parking lot) No firearms permitted.
It is recommended to dress warmly.
Entrance for Journalists to the Wreath-Laying Ceremony in the Presence of the President and Acting Prime Minister, Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 10:00 a.m.
Journalists will be permitted to enter the site by buses available to the public at the Mt. Herzl parking lot from 07:30.
Private vehicles will not be admitted to Yad Vashem.
ENTRANCE WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WITH A VALID 2006 GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE CARD.
There will be no entry to the ceremony after 09:15.
From 11:00-20:00 entry will be permitted to all events at Yad Vashem, by way of transportation from Mt. Herzl.
Events on Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, Tuesday, April 25, 2006
10:00 Siren
10:02 Wreath-laying ceremony with the participation of Israel’s President, Acting Prime Minister, Acting Speaker of the Knesset, President of the Supreme Court, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, IDF Chief of General Staff, Chief of Police, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mayor of Jerusalem, public figures, representatives of survivor and veterans organizations, students, and delegations from throughout the country—Warsaw Ghetto Square
8:30-15:00 Meetings with survivors, multimedia activities, guided tours and creative workshops and more for over a thousand students — International School for Holocaust Studies
10:30-12:30 “Unto Every Person There is a Name” – recitation of Holocaust victims’ names by members of the public—Hall of Remembrance
11:00 “Unto Every Person There is a Name” – recitation of Holocaust victims’ names under the auspices of the Acting Speaker of the Knesset, and in the presence of the President and Prime Minister of Israel and public figures—Knesset
11:00-15:00 Special screening program of Holocaust-related films—Visual Center. The program will comprise films made by Third Generation students, and a film about the children of the Kindertransport.
13:00 Main Memorial Ceremony — Hall of Remembrance
16:00-19:00 Memorial Ceremony for former members of the Jewish resistance in France—Auditorium
17:30 Ceremony for youth movements, with Participation of Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Meir Sheetrit, and 500 youth movement members. The program includes performances by Harel Scaat, and the Youth Movement Choir conducted by Gilad Lerer. MCs: Golan Azulai and Efrat Boimwald. The ceremony is organized by Yad Vashem in conjunction with the Ministry of Education’s Youth and Social Administration, and Youth Movement Council—Valley of the Communities
19:30 “Mu-zika – Youth Touch Songs of the Shoah” – the conclusion of a project of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. The program includes dramatic, musical and visual arts pieces created by young artists—Ma’abada, Jerusalem (entrance by invitation only)
20:30 “Boulevard de Misères” – Production marking 60 years since the liberation of Holland—Gerard Behar Center, Jerusalem. Admission free. For tickets, tel: 02-6251139
20:30 “To be the Next Generations” – Discussion organized by the “Generation to Generation – Bearers of the Holocaust and Heroism Legacy” organization with the participation of Dr. Yossi Shub, Chairman of the organization, author Savyon Liebrecht, psychologist Esti Leider, President of the Manufacturers’ Association in Israel Shraga Brosh, Editor-in-Chief of Yad Vashem Studies Dr. David Silberklang, journalist Carmit Guy, and others. MC: Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev—Air Force House, Herzliya.
