Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hasho’ah) allows us to memorialize the greatest tragedy experienced by the Jewish people in modern times. It reminds us that, wrapped up in that unfathomable horror, were millions of individual lives—real people with real stories. It is up to us to learn and share these stories on their behalf. Together, we say we must never forget. Rituals for Yom Hashoah vary. Some communities read names of people killed in the Holocaust, some observe moments of silence. New liturgy is still being developed, and it is sadly relevant, since genocide continues to plague our world.

Latest Rituals

Charlotte’s Poem

“Charlotte’s story is not a tragedy / Neither is mine…”

ancestors, family, Holocaust, LGBTQ, pride, Shoah, trans rights, transgender, trauma

A daisy with rainbow-colored petals arranged in a gradient pattern, centered on a blurred green background.

Eighty Years of Memor

“To speak their names, to light a flame…”

Auschwitz, Holocaust, memory, Shoah

A lit candle in a frosted glass holder casts a warm glow in a dark setting.

Across Generations (for Yom Hasho’ah)

“Later, alone, she taught herself the art / of painting flower portraits. I learned that part…”

family, Holocaust, Yom Ha'shoah

a painting of green plants against a blue sky

The Parting Gift

“1935, the girls are packing / for America. / Their parents will not wait for things to get worse.”

antisemitism, Holocaust, immigration, passover, refugees

Passover Haggadah

The Gift

In this beautiful poem, the author explores her loss of innocence and search for understanding.

antisemitism, Holocaust

two long rows of yahrzeit candles some of them lit

Babi Yar ’22

“A cemetery twice desecrated / A people the world long forgot”

antisemitism, Babi Yar, Ukraine, war

Close-up of several lit tealight candles glowing warmly in a dark setting.

Second Generation

“coming to America, we were still alone”

Candles on train tracks in foggy weather, with a solitary person walking in the distance.

Stranger’s Roots

Rooted in the traumas of Jewish history, we reach out in solidarity with our neighbors who are oppressed

Holocaust, racial justice, social justice

A person with an outstretched hand, wearing a denim jacket, appears to be asking for help.

The Night That Never Ends

“We must never forget them”

Gravestone with Star of David, topped with small stones, in a cemetery setting.

Hear Me

“My father did not know how to pray”

Memorial messages on wooden plaques among rocks, with a focus on remembering and honoring victims.