What Is Holocaust Remembrance Day and When Is It Observed in the U.S.?
There are two observances in the U.S. that you will want to know about.
There are three major Holocaust Remembrance Observances that happen at different times and places around the world. The first to be established was "Yom HaShoah" ("Holocaust Remembrance Day") in Israel. Next were the "Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust" in the U.S. and most recently, "International Holocaust Remembrance Day" established by the United Nations.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established in 2005 and is observed on January 27 each year. It corresponds with the same date in 1945 when the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated. This date was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as a day for all members to look back and remember the victims of the Holocaust. It was one of the most tragic times in history when the Nazis killed nearly six million Jews during the course of World War II. This shocking genocide eliminated about two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population.
Regardless of where and when a Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs, the meaning of it is the same. It's important that what happened to the Jews is never forgotten.
Related: Holocaust Remembrance Day: Powerful Memorials Around the World
What Is the Difference Between International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Days of Remembrance and Yom HaShoah?
Israel celebrates Yom HaShoah in April or May, depending on the year. In the United States, we recognize two observances—International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (or "Days of Remembrance" for short).
What Is Yom HaShoah?
Established in 1951 (confirmed by law in 1959) in Israel, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is observed in either April or May, depending on the year (since the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, it is based on monthly moon phases so the actual date on the Gregorian calendar changes every year).
When Is Yom HaShoah?
In 2023, Yom HaShoah will be observed from the evening of April 17 to the evening of April 18.
Related: Watch These Important Movies Around Holocaust Remembrance Day
What Are the Days of Remembrance?
Established in 1980 in the U.S., this observance occurs over eight days. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Days of Remembrance runs from the Sunday before Yom Hashoah through the following Sunday."
When Are the Days of Remembrance?
2023's Days of Remembrance will be observed from Sunday, April 16 through Sunday, April 23.
What Is International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
Established in 2005, International Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on the anniversary of the liberation of camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is observed by all members of the United Nations, but many countries outside of the UN have established remembrances on the same day as well.
When Is International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
International Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on January 27.
The premise of all the remembrances is about the same. They use the set-apart time to commemorate the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Why Were The Days of Remembrance Established?
The Days of Remembrance were actually established 25 years before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
On November 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter established the President's Commission on the Holocaust and gave the Commission the responsibility to establish and maintain an appropriate memorial to those who were killed in the Holocaust.
The Commission was made up of 34 members that included Holocaust survivors, religious leaders, historians and members of Congress. Suggestions were also taken from American citizens and further research was gained by traveling to Holocaust sites and other memorials in Europe.
Then, in 1980, the U.S. Congress passed legislation to establish the Days of Remembrance as a way to officially remember the Holocaust and to create the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent memorial to the victims. The museum is also responsible for planning Remembrance Day events and encouraging observances throughout the United States.
In a speech by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken from 2021, he quotes what was written by an Auschwitz survivor after the Jews were locked in a gas chamber with only three minutes to live. The survivor had said that "in those final minutes they found enough strength to dig their fingernails into the walls and scratch in the words, ‘Never forget!’” Through establishing Days of Remembrance, we will never, ever forget.
