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Israelis find creative ways to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

With social distancing in place and with many traditional Holocaust memorial ceremonies canceled, Israelis have come up with many different ways to remember the victims and pay tribute to survivors.
A security personnel walks at the Hall of Names at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, before beginning of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, as the centre is closed following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions around the country, April 20, 2020 REUTERS/ Ronen Zvulun - RC2E8G9J1PCO

Israelis attended no public Holocaust remembrance ceremonies tonight. The main annual event taking place at the Yad Vashem memorial square and aired on public television was recorded ahead of time with no public participation. Addressing Israelis from his office, President Reuven Rivlin spoke this evening at length about solidarity in the time of the Holocaust, calling on Israelis, world leaders and world citizens to show human solidarity against the coronavirus threat.

With mass gatherings still strictly forbidden by measures to slow the pandemic, Israelis are marking Holocaust Remembrance Day differently this time around. Tomorrow, April 21, at 10:00 in the morning, the sirens will sound as they do every year for a minute of silence. Normally, everything in Israel comes to a halt on that moment, with cars stopping on the shoulders of roads and drivers getting out of their vehicles to stand while the sirens sound. This year, people are called to come out to their balconies and stand there for the minute of silence, sharing the significant moment with whoever is around.

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