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Yom HaShoah in Jerusalem

On the occasion of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF) Israel was once again invited to lay a wreath at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Square in Yad Vashem – a place that stands as a powerful symbol of resistance, dignity, and remembrance.

Two people stand at a Holocaust memorial holding a red and pink gerbera wreath before a bronze bas relief.

Due to heightened security regulations, this year’s wreath-laying did not take place as part of the official state ceremony. As in the previous year, ASF Israel currently has no volunteers in the country who would traditionally take on this meaningful role. The wreath was therefore laid by Uriel Kashi and Annett Daffan on behalf of the ASF Israel office.
Prior to the ceremony, a name-reading took place in the Hall of Remembrance. It was there that the scale of loss became almost impossible to comprehend: one woman, now living in Australia, shared that she had lost more than 200 family members during the Shoah – too many names to read aloud. Another participant needed ten minutes to recite the names of her murdered relatives. These moments underscore that remembrance is not abstract – it is deeply personal, carried across generations.
ASF’s work is grounded in the commitment to remember, to take responsibility, and to foster dialogue and reconciliation. Especially in times of uncertainty and conflict, this mission remains indispensable.
We look ahead with hope that, under peaceful conditions, ASF volunteers will return to Israel next year – to take part in Yom HaShoah and continue this vital work of remembrance and human connection.