In May, we mark the Jewish days of remembrance and celebration that come around each spring. This year, in the aftermath of October 7, we'll be mourning the loss of fallen soldiers and innocent civilians, praying for the return of the hostages and hoping for peace in a strong, secure Israel. This year, these Yoms are a powerful way for the Jewish community to demonstrate love and support for Israel and the Jewish people.
Here is a brief guide to Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, representing both a time of joy and mourning.
Yom Hashoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day
Yom Hashoah 2024 begins at sundown on Sunday, May 5, and ends at nightfall on Monday, May 6. Yom Hashoah is the internationally recognized remembrance day for the 6 million Jews who were systematically slaughtered in the Shoah, or Holocaust. It falls on the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, a date selected by the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) to commemorate the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, when Jewish resistance fighters defied the Nazis and fought for freedom. Shoah means "catastrophe" or "utter destruction" in Hebrew and specifically refers to the genocide of the Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Yom Hazikaron — Israeli Memorial Day
Yom Hazikaron 2024 begins at sundown on Sunday, May 12, and ends at nightfall on Monday, May 13. Yom Hazikaron is Israel’s national day of mourning to honor all the soldiers and people who lost their lives defending the State of Israel. This Yom Hazikaron is especially meaningful, as we mourn the loss of soldiers and innocent civilians at the hands of Hamas since October 7. The remembrance day, which always takes place on the day preceding Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, was established by the Knesset and enacted into law in 1963.
Yom Ha'atzmaut — Israel Independence Day
Yom Ha’atzmaut 2024 begins at sundown on Monday, May 13, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, May 14. Yom Ha'atzmaut is a joyous celebration of the establishment of the modern State of Israel. It is observed on the fifth day of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar, the anniversary of the day (corresponding to May 14, 1948) a provisional government publicly read and signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Yom Ha'atzmaut immediately follows Yom Hazikaron, reminding Israelis of those who sacrificed their lives for independence.
Yom Yerushalayim — Jerusalem Day
This Yom arrives in June, commemorating the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty in 1967. On Yom Yerushalayim, Hadassah celebrates the reunification of East and West Jerusalem and Hadassah’s two hospitals, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, which is in West Jerusalem, and Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, which is in East Jerusalem. Yom Yerushalayim 2024 begins at sundown on Tuesday, June 4, and ends at nightfall on Wednesday, June 5.
Register for Hadassah's May 6 Yom Hashoah event, One Woman Remembers, Featuring Toby Levy.