Israel paused on Thursday to mourn the killing of 6 million Jews by Nazis during the 2nd World War on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
At about 10 am in the morning, sirens went off in entire Israel for 2 minutes while pedestrians paused and drivers pulled their cars over on streets and highways in entire Israel.
This siren marked the beginning of a series of memorial activities on the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, It is an official day to honor the Jews who died at the hands of Nazi Germany and its collaborators.
174,500 Holocaust survivors are still alive in Israel as per the official figures. 83% of the survivors are over the age of 80 and 18% are over the age of 90. At least 900 Holocaust survivors in the country are older than 100 years.
According to President Reuven Rivlin, 900 Holocaust Survivors in Israel died due to Covid-19. He said this at a ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
The President said those Holocaust Survivors who died due to Covid-19 spent their final days “distressed and isolated, behind masks and protective gloves, longing for contact but detached from their loved ones”.
The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
