Dear Friends,

This year Yom HaShoah will be very different.

For the first time ever there will be no commemorative ceremonies bringing people together physically in solemn reflection held around the world.

Whilst we are of course all preoccupied with the effect that the COVID-19 corona virus pandemic is having on our lives, we still feel that it is important to mark this day and pay our respects to the victims of the Holocaust.

For this reason, WJC will be holding a Yom HaShoah Commemorative Ceremony, online, on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. in New York, 5:00 P.M. in Brussels and 6:00 P.M. in Jerusalem.

We invite you to view this commemoration live, by clicking on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/WorldJewishCong/live_videos

This brief ceremony, expected to last approximately 20 minutes, will include reflections by WJC commissioner for Holocaust memory Dr. Charlotte Knobloch and WJC executive committee member ambassador Colette Avital, both survivors of the Shoah, an intervention by the right honorable lord Eric Pickles, UK special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, and will be moderated by Yariv Nornberg and Reuven Rennert, members of the WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps.

Please feel free to publicize this widely within your communities and organizations as all are welcome.

Our objective is to provide a ceremony option for those communities that do not have the opportunity arrange one, and to complement rather than to detract in any way from the activities of our communities. Therefore if don’t wish to promote this further please don’t feel obliged to do so.

As the number of Holocaust survivors amongst us is sadly diminishing, the transmission of the memory of the Shoah is now one of our most important tasks. Reaching younger generations through digital means is now of paramount importance, and so we hope you will join us and encourage others to do so.

Moadim leSimcha and stay safe,

Maram Stern, executive vice president