The holocaust
memorial ceremony, which has been held at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai these last 60
years, is the central ceremony in the south of Israel, which marks the end of
Holocaust Memorial Day. Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, whose founders were holocaust survivors,
symbolises the heroism of the fighters and the rebels in the holocaust, as well
as the bravery of the southern settlements, who stood fast against the Arab
armies in the War of Independence. The southern settlements are faced again
with a tough security reality, as a result of which the ceremony takes on
special meaning and new importance, and is held under heavy security.
The ceremony
is held at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, named for Mordechai Anielewicz, leader of the
Warsaw Ghetto rebellion, and marks the end of the events of Holocaust Memorial
Day and allows the residents of the southern settlements a sense of
identification, pride and unity. The mere fact that the ceremony is held and
that it is attended by such a large crowd are an expression of support for the
entire south, and specifically for the settlements surrounding the Gaza strip.
The main
message of the ceremony is "from holocaust to resurrection". The
event is traditionally held under the Mordechai Anielewicz monument and beside
the water tower, whose bullet hole-riddled image has become a famous icon in
Israel. The ceremony includes a reading of the "Yizkor" and speeches
by representatives of the government, the IDF, the Kibbutzes Movement and the
holocaust survivors. This is followed by the artistic portion, in which an
impressive vision is presented of the story of rebellion and bravery in the
holocaust and the message of commemoration, resurrection and revival.
Through this
ceremony, the organisers seek to educate the younger generation in the memory
of the holocaust, to represent holocaust survivors to the public and to
encourage attention and appreciation of the survivors' stories. Alongside the
commemoration of the holocaust, the mere fact that the ceremony is held
persistently every year sends to the participants and the audience messages of
responsibility, activism and social leadership. This central event for all
residents of the south acts in connecting authorities and provides a sense of
pride and togetherness for local residents.
For years the
public personalities and the attending audience were mainly from kibbutz
populations, but in recent years a new partnership has been formed with
surrounding authority heads, who now recognise the ceremony as a central
representing event and more and more participants attend from all settlements
in the area, and thus represent the texture of life in the area, as they
partake in the living commemoration of the holocaust.
The audience
is about five thousand-strong and includes the members of various youth
movements, high school pupils from across the country, soldiers of the IDF
Southern Command, including officers and cadets, immigrants from reception
centres, holocaust survivors and their families – second and third generation,
and residents of the neighbouring settlements, as well as citizens from across
the country.