Rivlin pays tribute to Holocaust survivors killed in Israel's wars
The day's events begin with a siren in memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Nazis, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem and the recitation of victims' names at the Knesset; in Poland, the March of Life will commence in Auschwitz camp at 2:30pm.
Israel commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday with ceremonies and events throughout the country.
"My mother's story is a life lesson for me," the son said. "The kindness she was shown by complete strangers is something I've adopted and implemented in my own life. At every point, you can do good for someone."
"Activating the siren helps me come full circle. As a reservist commander at a situation room, I'm responsible for alerting against threats to the citizens of Israel," he added.
Among those who attended the ceremony were President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Austian Chancellor Christian Kern, Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel Judge Elyakim Rubinstein, chairman of the World Zionist Organization Avraham Duvdevani, chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, acting dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, representatives of survivor and fighter organizations and delegations from across the country.
The wreath-laying ceremony was followed by a recitation of Holocaust victims' names by members of the public both in Yad Vashem and at the Knesset under the auspices of Speaker Yuli Edelstein.
"The last descendents did not have anyone left to say (the Jewish mourning prayer) Kaddish for them," Rivlin said during the Unto Every Person There is a Name ceremony at the Knesset.
"These were the fighters who, after experiencing the Holocaust and remaining the last remnant of their family, made aliyah, fought, and died in Israel's wars. In their death, they became the symbol that connects Holocaust and revival. But in their death, the memories of their families were also wiped from the world," the president lamented.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, spoke of Shmuel Ben-Artzi, his father-in-law. "He had a tender and pure soul, and he never truly recovered (from the Holocaust)," the prime minister said. "Shortly before he passed away, he kept mentioning his twin sister, Yehudith, who was murdered in the Holocaust. He'd get choked up, tears would roll out of his eyes, and he would not be able to say another thing. In his will, he asked us to write on his tombstone: 'A remnant of a family that was murdered in the Holocaust.'"
Throughout the day, Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies will be running a variety of activities for educational groups from Israel and abroad, and holding a number of musical performances as part of the Music and Memory project in cooperation with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
In Haifa, there will be other events on Monday, including a memorial ceremony commemorating those who perished and personal encounters with Holocaust survivors who chose to open their homes. In addition, survivors will arrive at community and educational centers such as the Leo Barak Center, Beit El, the Tiberias Community Center in the Hadar neighborhood and the Ohel Avraham Beit Midrash to tell their story.
In Poland, the 29th March of Life will take place, beginning at 3:30pm local time (2:30pm Israel time), where more than ten thousand young people from around the world will walk three kilometers from the Auschwitz camp to Birkenau as a silent gesture to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices. The government will be represented by Minister of Education Naftali Bennett and also attending is Supreme Court President Miriam Naor and Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot.
At 7:45pm, the events of Holocaust Remembrance Day will be concluded in a ceremony at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot in the presence of President Rivlin. For the first time in the history of the country, a senior German offiical will attend the ceremony: former German President Joachim Gauck will be President Rivlin's guest.
