On April 12, 1951, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) proclaimed Yom HaShoah U’Mered Hagetaot (Holocaust and Ghetto Revolt Remembrance Day) to be the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The name later because known as Yom HaShoah VeHagevurah (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day) and later, simply Yom HaShoah.
It was with a heavy heart that we canceled this year’s community-wide commemoration. This annual event provided an opportunity for us to promote our mission of teaching the history and lessons of the Holocaust, as well as remembering the victims and honoring the survivors.
In today’s unprecedented circumstances, we encourage the St. Louis community to fulfill the intent of Yom HaShoah by learning about the Holocaust and finding inspiration in the lives and words of St. Louis survivors and witnesses.
On our website, HMLC.org, visitors can access short video segments focusing on the Museum’s permanent exhibition, as well as a virtual tour of the Museum. In addition, visitors can access numerous recorded testimonies drawn from our Oral Histories Project. These first-person voices include descriptions of the richness of life before the Holocaust, the horrors of the camps, the uncertainty and desperation of life in hiding, and the renewal of life in the post-War years.
Yom HaShoah 2020 falls on the evening of Tuesday, April 22, through the following day. Many follow the tradition of lighting a memorial candle on that date. We encourage you to spend some time during this season of renewal, remembering the incalculable loss of life and potential which the Holocaust represents.
The Passover season, which also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, reminds us of the heroism of those who fought back through armed resistance or the power of the spirit. We also honor the resilience of those who survived, who continue to inspire us to build a better world.
In addition to our website, we encourage you to visit the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, at USHMM.org, for programming throughout their Week of Remembrance.