Yom HaShoah in the United States
Many people in the United States observe Yom Hashoah, which is also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. It commemorates the lives and heroism of Jewish people who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945.
What Do People Do?
Many people in the United States, including those with Jewish ancestry or connections, observe Yom Hashoah on the 27th day of the month of Nisan. Many Jewish communities hold commemorative ceremonies or events to remember Holocaust victims who died during World War II. Activities may include lighting memorial candles and reciting the Kaddish, which is a prayer for the departed.
The Masorti (Conservative Judaism) movement in Israel created Megillat HaShoah, a scroll and liturgical reading for Yom HaShoah. This is a joint effort between Jewish leaders in Israel, the United States and Canada. Rituals associated with Yom Hashoah are still being made and suggested. These rituals vary among synagogues in North America.
Educational programs about the historical events associated with Yom Hashoah are shown around this time of the year, particularly to students learning about Jewish history. These programs may include a documentary featuring Holocaust survivors’ stories, as well as a Holocaust-themed film.
Yom Hashoah is not a federal public holiday in the United States. The state of Israel moves the observance of Yom Hashoah when the actual date falls on a Friday or Sunday. It is then observed on the preceding Thursday or following Monday, respectively. Some communities in the US also follow this tradition, and there might therefore be some discrepancy about the actual date Yom Hashoah is observed in the US.
Israel’s Knesset (parliament) established Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, as a memorial to about six million Jewish people who were slaughtered by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. It is observed on the 27th day of the month of Nisan. The full name of the day is Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah, which means the "Day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism".
About Yom HaShoah in other countriesRead more about Yom HaShoah.
Yom HaShoah ObservancesNote: Jewish holidays begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday.
|Weekday||Date||Year||Name||Holiday Type||Where it is Observed|
|Sun||Apr 11||2010||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Sun||May 1||2011||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Wed||Apr 18||2012||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Mon||Apr 8||2013||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Mon||Apr 28||2014||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Wed||Apr 15||2015||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Wed||May 4||2016||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Mon||Apr 24||2017||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Wed||Apr 11||2018||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Wed||May 1||2019||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
|Tue||Apr 21||2020||Yom HaShoah||Jewish holiday|
Quick FactsMany people in the United States observe Yom Hashoah by remembering Holocaust victims who died during World War II.
Yom HaShoah 2016Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Yom HaShoah 2017Monday, April 24, 2017
Name in other languages
|יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה||Hebrew|
|ذكرى الكارثة والبطولة||Arabic|
|홀로 코스트와 영웅 현충일||Korean|
Alternative nameHolocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day
Note: Jewish holidays begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday.
Other holidays in May 2016 in the United States
- Orthodox Easter – Sunday, May 1, 2016
- Orthodox Easter Monday – Monday, May 2, 2016
- Primary Election Day Indiana – Tuesday, May 3, 2016
- Kent State Shootings Remembrance – Wednesday, May 4, 2016
- Ascension Day – Thursday, May 5, 2016
- National Nurses Day – Friday, May 6, 2016
- National Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Day – Saturday, May 7, 2016
- Mother's Day – Sunday, May 8, 2016
- Truman Day – Monday, May 9, 2016
- State Holiday – Tuesday, May 10, 2016
- Yom Ha'atzmaut – Thursday, May 12, 2016
- Pentecost – Sunday, May 15, 2016
- Whit Monday – Monday, May 16, 2016
- National Defense Transportation Day – Friday, May 20, 2016
- Armed Forces Day – Saturday, May 21, 2016
- Trinity Sunday – Sunday, May 22, 2016
- Emergency Medical Services for Children Day – Wednesday, May 25, 2016
- Corpus Christi – Thursday, May 26, 2016
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 30, 2016