The Holocaust Day 2024 ceremony - a special event in Kiryat Hased in Haifa as a sign of the unity of the people

Holocaust Remembrance Day and Heroism under the sign of "People's Unity" was celebrated by the association "Yad Ezer Shevre" in Haifa.

In the shadow of the ongoing war, the heavy fighting in Gaza and the firing of missiles at Israel for over half a year, today, Monday, 6/5/2024, a special event was held in the plaza of the "Yad for Exploitation" monument of the association located on Kessel Street in the association's Kiryat HaHesed in the Hadar Carmel neighborhood. the unity of the people".

The 2024 Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day ceremony at the "Yad Ezer Havre" association in memory of our brothers and sisters, the six million, victims of the Holocaust who were murdered and exterminated by the Nazis and their helpers and in honor of those true heroes, the survivors of the Holocaust who survived it.

This year the ceremony was held under the sign of "the unity of the people" in light of the terrible disaster that befell us on the seventh of October, when the State of Israel suffered the largest Jewish pogrom since the time of the Holocaust, a pogrom that also ignited an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism in many countries of the world and led to the war in which we are now and has been going on for over six months .

The ceremony was held in the presence of the families of the abductees and survivors of the events of October 7th, many Holocaust survivors, residents of the association's "Warm Home for Holocaust Survivors" who live in the association's Kiryat Hased, and many Holocaust survivors from the Haifa area and the north, as well as Knesset members Ariel Kellner and Eli Dellal and Knesset member Ati Chava Atia, ambassadors and consuls and representatives from the various countries, including Mr. Alexander Bodai Consul General and Ms. Irena Levchenko, Attaché from the Consulate General of Russia in Haifa, Mr. Pawan Kumar, Liaison Officer and Assistant to the Defense Attaché at the Embassy of India, Ms. Andrea Suara-Wasserstein from the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa, Taiwan's ambassador in Israel Ms. Ivy Ye Ping-Li, representatives of the Chinese embassy in Israel Mr. Liu Song advisor to the ambassador and Mr. Mai Lichu her political attache, Mr. Carlos Gross honorary consul of Italy in Haifa and more. Also present were many members of the Haifa City Council, including Mr. Avihu Han, Deputy Mayor and City Council, Ms. Tatiana John, Mr. Zeev Sonenzon, Mr. Moti Blitzblau, Mr. Kirill Kartnik, Mr. Yaniv Ben Shoshan, Attorney Yaakov Bo Rubsky, Public figures, many IDF units from the naval wing of the Navy and paratrooper patrols, the Israel Police, various security forces, school students and more.

Also taking part in the event were Holocaust survivors who were rescued under heavy fire in unusual ways, in complex and complicated operations, tirelessly and with a lot of sacrifice and fervor by the members of the humanitarian delegation of the association in Ukraine about two and a half years ago. Today these Holocaust survivors live quietly and peacefully as full-fledged tenants The association's "Beit Ha'am" in its Kiryat HaChesed spread over 3 streets in the Hadar neighborhood, in Haifa.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the perpetual candle was lit in memory of the six million people who perished by Mrs. Miriam Liniel, 103 years old, a Holocaust survivor from Poland, and Yehudit Hershkowitz, 95 years old, Holocaust survivors from Hungary, both residents of the association's "Holocaust Survivors' Warm Home". After that, Cantor Haim Grinstein offered a loud and emotional prayer "God is full of mercy" to the heavens and the rabbi of the association, the Honorable Rabbi Ya'akov Meman, said "Kaddish" in memory of the fallen, our brothers and sisters, the six million. The artistic part of the ceremony was the choir of students from the "Nirim" school from the Neve David neighborhood in Haifa, who performed pieces of poetry. The choir is made up of school children and children who were evacuated from their homes from the northern border settlements about six months ago, the captains of the youth team players of the Maccabi Haifa football club spoke moving words about Holocaust survivors during the Holocaust and the singer Gideon Leibovitz was honored to sing "Hatikva" together with all those present, the ceremony Hosted with great grace and good taste by journalist and "News 12" man Gilad Shalmor.

During the event, the founder and CEO of the association "Yad Ezer Heber" spoke with great excitement
Shimon Sebag said: "Unfortunately, this year another dimension of great and immense pain is added to this important day. The call "Never again" resonates as the foundation of our existence here, on this land of the State of Israel, uniting us in an indelible common destiny. Also on October 7 They rose up against us, and only wanted to destroy us, here we are still here, hurting, sad, missing, but still standing upright and in genius, and continuing to say no more, no more.

Holocaust survivors are a constant source of inspiration for us thanks to the spirit of heroism,
Their determination and supreme willpower. The association "Yad Ezer Chavere" has been operating a "Warm Home for Holocaust Survivors" for over 3 decades and operates out of a deep commitment to help the Holocaust survivors living among us and to benefit them as much as possible.

International support for the State of Israel's right to defend itself has changed in waves
Anti-Semitism is murky and difficult, that is why our mission in the "Yad Ezer Haber" association is more important than ever. We will continue to teach about the Holocaust and continue to act against anti-Semitism. At a time when a war is raging in Israel, which began following the October 7 massacre, it is of utmost importance to remember and not forget what the Jewish people experienced 80 years ago. The association "Yad Ezer Shevre" will continue its many years of practice to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and raise the flag of the revival of the Jewish people in their country, for the sake of those who perished and for the sake of future generations. This is the time and this is also the moment to salute the Holocaust survivors who survived the worst of all, let's honor the memory of the dead, the victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust survivors are the true heroes of all of us and thanks to them we live here today, the Holocaust survivors are the light that illuminates humanity when the world is dark."

There are currently 132,826 Holocaust survivors living in the State of Israel, 9,000 Holocaust survivors currently live in the city of Haifa. Over half of the Holocaust survivors in Israel live below the poverty line. The generation of Holocaust survivors are our light and moral compass and the beacon of faith in the righteousness of our way, the people many of whom have experienced the horrors of both times, are a testimony to the rise of Israel and the strength and resilience of the Jewish people.

The association "Yad Ezer Chavre" will continue to operate and will do everything in its power to help the survivors of the Holocaust. The aid and support for the Holocaust survivors is at the heart of the activities of the "Yad Ezer Heber" association. Our debt as a country and citizens to the Holocaust survivors is enormous and we must work every day to make sure that they will live a good life with good health and this so that they will not lack anything. The survivors of the holocaust proved to us again just in the last six months what heroism is. How do you stand up to evil and can it.

As the years pass, more and more Holocaust survivors pass away and we must ensure that in their years of life, they will live with the dignity they deserve. This is the time and this is also the moment to salute the Holocaust survivors who survived the worst of all, the Holocaust survivors are the true heroes of all of us and thanks to them we live here today, the Holocaust survivors are the light that illuminates humanity when the world is dark."

During the event, the "Social Justice Shield" of the Yad Ezer Association for a Friend for 2024 was awarded to the former coach of the Israel national soccer team, Shlomo Sharaf, whose welcome contribution, his involvement and his many volunteers and with the help of his family members and many of his friends, a new ambulance was purchased for the amount of hundreds of thousands of shekels to transport Holocaust survivors and the elderly Without cost, which was launched just two weeks ago and is named after his beloved granddaughter Mai Na'im - the late Sharaf, who was killed at the age of 24 in the murderous and brutal terrorist attack by the Hamas organization on that black Sabbath of October 7th at a party in Kibbutz Ra'im in the south.

During the event, the "Social Justice Shield" was also awarded to Mr. Hanan Slinson, for his contribution
and the generosity of his heart for the welfare of Holocaust survivors. At the end of the event, the guests and participants in the ceremony were invited to visit the association's "Holocaust and Resurrection Museum" located in the association's Kiryat Hased complex on Kessel Street in Haifa.