As the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future generations. Established in 1953, as the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is today a dynamic and vital place of intergenerational and international encounter.
For over half a century, Yad Vashem has been committed to four pillars of remembrance:
Commemoration:
Yad Vashem is dedicated to commemorating the six million Jews murdered by the Germans and their collaborators, as well as the numerous Jewish communities destroyed during the Shoah, so that they will have an eternal remembrance.
Documentation:
The Yad Vashem Archives house the largest collection of Holocaust documentation in the world. The 125 million pages of documentary evidence, films, and 420,000 photographs, as well as more than 100,000 survivor testimonies stand as indisputable proof of the genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Nazis and their collaborators.
Research:
Since its establishment, one of Yad Vashem’s priorities has been to research the Holocaust and to distribute publications on the subject.
Education:
The International School for Holocaust Studies conducts educational programs and produces educational materials for a variety of target populations and educational organizations in Israel and abroad.