Yom HaShoah 2025: A Time to Remember; A Time to Reflect

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There are six remembrances found in the Torah – remembering the Shabbat and keeping it holy, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai, the sin of the golden calf, the attack of amalek; and, the sin of Miriam.

Each of these remembrances are explicitly stated in the Torah and are embedded in the deep, rich biblical history and experience of the B’nai Yisrael.

Unlike these biblically commanded remembrances, the observance of Yom HaShoah ve-laG’vurah (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day) which takes place on the 27th day of Nisan, was mandated into Israeli law by the Israeli Knesset in 1959 and has been observed  annually in commemoration for the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust by Nazis and for the Jewish resistance in that period…As such, Yom HaShoah does not have any particular biblical significance but nevertheless strikes at the very core of our hearts, minds and emotions. It is a day of deep reflection and emotion and one which engenders a feeling of sadness, anger and profound loss.

This year, similar to last year, we observed Yom HaShoah against a backdrop of painful and daunting events confronting our Jewish people.

From the continued imprisonment of our precious hostages still being held captive by Hamas to the painful loss of life resulting from Israel’s war against Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the Houthis, we commemorate Yom HaShoah with a new sense of reality and set of circumstances.

On Yom HaShoah, we remember those innocent women, children and men – young and elderly – who perished during the Holocaust and those heroes and resistance fighters who valiantly and boldly resisted the Nazi onslaught.

We remember how millions of Jewish families were forced to march through the death camps of hell and who were physically shoved into gas chambers and then crematoria like cattle. We witnessed the true evil which mankind is capable of and how the world just turned their  backs on our people as if we were non existent vermin.

The cold blooded murder of over six million Jews in concentration camps is so hard to fathom and so hard to rationalize.

These are the horrendous atrocities and these are the nightmarish events we all carry with us in 2025. In fact, these memories never dissipate  or disappear; they only become amplified and exacerbated by the current state of affairs confronting our Jewish people.

On that infamous day of October 7th, we were once again reminded that our Jewish people remain vulnerable and are not infallible. Even with the greatest and most powerful army in the world, the IDF and our Jewish nation were caught off guard.

Opinions as to why and how this atrocity occurred is not within the purview of this writer. But one thing is for sure, our existential state was tested as never before since the Holocaust. And we paid a horrible price.

On October 8th, we all woke up to a new harsh reality. A reality which non of us would have ever believed or anticipated –  the meteoric explosion of antisemitism, Jew hatred and anti Israel violent protests in the streets and neighborhoods of American and Europe.

The resurgence of antisemitism since October 7th is daunting. To be sure it has sent shock waves throughout our communities and has created a new reality which we always felt was possible, but never thought would be probable in our lifetimes.

As a child, I can still recall hearing my father’s comment that “it can happen here”.  Although I was too young and immature to fully understand or grasp what he was saying, his comments were always in my mind. Now as an adult, I understand and appreciate what he was saying and suggesting.

My father  z”l spoke about this topic with tremendous passion, authority and conviction. He served as a senior Chaplain in the United States Army and was the first to liberate the Buchenwald death camps on April 11, 1945

His stories of what he witnessed on that day of liberation, was seared in his mind throughout his career as a pulpit rabbi, brilliant orator, and rabbinic leader. He lived and was haunted by these images throughout his career, until his tragic death at a very young age.

Other experiences where also described in detail by my mother-in-law of blessed memory who survived the horrible atrocities of Auschwitz where she lost her dear parents and most of her family. He father and grandfather were also  great Torah scholars personalities in Hungary prior to the war.

Friends, none of us can make any sense of this, although there are many theories and hypotheses as to why and how our Jewish people continue to be vulnerable and subject once again to unabashed deep hatred and antisemitism.

My students often asked me how this state of affairs is even possible? Why is it happening? And, how should our Jewish community respond to this evolving antisemitic existential crisis?

These questions became even more significant and profoundly magnified as we commemorate Yom HaShoah and mourn the loss of six million brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins and grandparents and other family members.

Nobody really has the ultimate answers to these profound questions. At best, we must be mitpallel to HaShem that he will be guided and protected and that we must never ever lose hope, our emunah or bitachon in Hashaem, lest we fall prey to the wishes of our enemies. In fact, with all of tragedies which achienu bnai yisrael have confronted and experienced, we still remain a strong, viable and resilient people who make amazingly impressive contributions to society every day. This fact is undeniable.

Finally, the challenge of how we respond to acts of antisemitism, is one which is in part currently being addressed by our defense and intelligence agencies, governmental entities and private establishments in partnership with jewish communal organizations and entities.

Having said that, the three most critically important courses of action (from my perspective) that are within our  community’s control include –  more effective education and exposure in our schools and communities, greater awareness through effective and meaningful communications and public information, and strong and forceful advocacy for harsh legal consequences for those who spew Jew hatred and acts of antisemitism in public places. This include universities and college campuses!

Beyond these three communal responses, we must continue to perpetuate the memories of those who perished during the Shoah through teen, college and adult visits to the concentrations camps in Europe; guided visits and tours to Yad VaShem in Israel and to grave sites of our holy sages and Torah scholars who perished in Europe at the brutal hands of the Nazis.

These important activities and programs must be in addition to the creation or Oral History interviews with Holocaust survivors and special school-based programs and projects which endeavor to help guarantee that we never ever forget.

As our communities commemorate another Yom HaShoah around the world, we pray to Hashem for the departed precious souls who are no longer with us, we pray for the healthy and safe return of the hostages; and, we pray that this will be our last Yom HaShoa in galut (diaspora) and that we will all merit to live together in peace, harmony and achdut in Yerushalayim.

Shana Haba B’Yerushalayim

Am Yisrael Chai