Honoring the Victims: Israelis Pause to Remember Jewish Casualties of Nazis, Hamas

JERUSALEM, Israel – On Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israelis stop wherever they are for two minutes, as sirens blare to remember the six million Jews who perished during the Nazi era. It's a tradition that goes back to the 1950s, the fledgling years of when Israel was reborn as a modern nation.

We took our cameras to one of the major intersections in Jerusalem, where King David Street, Jabotinsky Street, and Keren Hayesod all meet, to witness this year's pause of silence.

Eighty years after the end of the Holocaust, the commemoration this year included the victims of the Hamas massacre and kidnappings of October 7th, 2023, when 1,200 Israelis were murdered, the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust.

Millions have been affected by the Holocaust – the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren – all living in the shadow of the most horrific genocide in all of human history.

It's a powerful reminder of what happened 80 years ago.

At the busy Jerusalem intersection, Emily told us, "I think about my grandfather. He was a Holocaust survivor from Stanislavov, Poland, and he was hidden in a barn by righteous Gentiles."

Elaine stated, "My grandparents, to my regret, were killed. And I don't think we should ever, ever forget what happened."

Shmuel told us, "Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day that really touches me because part of my family was killed in the Holocaust. This is a terrible and difficult day for all the people of Israel."

Moriah observed, "The people of Israel live, and the people of Israel will get up and continue with the help of God, with the expectation of the redemption."

To watch the video of the memorial sirens as they happened, watch our video above by clicking on the arrow.

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