Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) History

Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah, aims to honor the victims, educate future generations about the atrocities, promote human rights, and prevent future genocides. This day also serves as a solemn commemoration for the six million Jews who were systematically murdered during the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. Additionally, this day highlights the resistance and resilience of the Jewish people who survived, the Righteous Among the Nations who helped them, and the liberation by Allied forces.

Holocaust Remembrance Day has an important particular significance for people in America. The United States played a crucial role in ending World War II and liberating the concentration camps, but it also struggled with its own issues of anti-Semitism and isolationism prior to the war. The observance is an opportunity to remember and learn about the Holocaust, its roots, and its aftermath, in order to understand the importance of standing up against hate and prejudice in all its forms. U.S. educators, institutions and communities typically organize a variety of educational events and memorial ceremonies to facilitate this.

In the United States, the U.S. Congress established the Days of Remembrance, a week-long observance, which includes Yom HaShoah, to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Activities during the week include name readings of Holocaust victims, educational programs, communal prayer services, and more, as a way to remember and honor the victims and survivors, and to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed annually in accordance with the Hebrew Calendar, on the 27th of Nisan, which falls in April or May in the Gregorian calendar.

Top 10 Facts for Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2026

• The official theme for the 2026 International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as designated by the United Nations, is Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights.
• For the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in the United Kingdom has selected the theme Bridging generations to highlight the vital role of descendants in preserving the testimonies of survivors.
• Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is centering its 2026 commemorations on the theme The Jewish family during the Holocaust, which explores how Nazi persecution fractured domestic life and how families fought to maintain their bonds.
• The German government has allocated a record-breaking €923.9 million (approximately $1 billion) in compensation for 2026 specifically to support home care for aging and frail Holocaust survivors globally.
• In a significant legal development for restitution, the United States Senate recently advanced the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (Hear) Act of 2025, which aims to extend the timeframe for families to reclaim Nazi-looted artwork currently held in American museums.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will reopen its major upgraded exhibition, Americans and the Holocaust, on February 28, 2026, following a temporary closure for gallery enhancements and the renewal of critical copyrights.
• The 2025 psychological thriller Nuremberg, starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, is expected to drive significant interest as it portrays the real-life interactions between a U.S. Army psychiatrist and high-ranking Nazi officials during the historic trials.
• Anticipation is high for the early 2026 release of the film Ruin, which stars Gal Gadot as a camp survivor who forms a gritty alliance with an ex-SS captain to hunt down remaining members of a death squad.
• The Arolsen Archives in Germany is spearheading the 2026 #everynamecounts challenge, a crowdsourced digital initiative that invites volunteers to transcribe historical documents to help build the world’s largest online memorial for victims of Nazi persecution.
• A new documentary titled Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, which received the 2025 Yad Vashem Award for Cinematic Excellence, will be featured in special international screenings to honor the legacy of the Nobel laureate and his enduring message against indifference.

In the News and Trending for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Top things to do for Holocaust Remembrance Day

• Attend a local memorial service. Tip: find one in your community by doing an internet search for Yom Hashoah.
• Watch a movie about the Holocaust. Some popular picks: Schindler's List (1993), Auschwitz (2011), The Boy is Striped Pajamas(2008), Life is Beautiful (1997) and The Pianist (2002).
• Many communities read a list of those who perished in the camps and Ghettos. One way to commemorate the Holocaust is to browse the names in the Yad Vashem (Israel's Memorial to the Holocaust) names Database.
• Watch the mini-series Holocaust starring Meryl Streep. It depicts the story of a Jewish family's struggle to survive the Nazis.
• Donate to a charity that serves holocaust survivors or promotes education about the holocaust.