Holiday guide
Yom HaShoah
Yom HaShoah is Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, set by the Knesset on 27 Nisan. It is a day of state ceremonies, testimony and public reading of names.
…
Israel or the diaspora?
Observed as a state day in Israel. Many diaspora communities mark it too, though some also observe international Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
A two-minute siren sounds at 10am and the country stops where it stands: drivers get out of their cars on the motorway and stand in silence. Places of entertainment are closed the evening before.
Year by year
Yom HaShoah dates, year by year
Every date from 2024 to 2030, computed from the Hebrew calendar. Each year has its own page with candle lighting times.
The rest of the calendar
Other Jewish holidays
8 of the 14 other holidays on the Hebrew calendar, nearest date first. Every card opens a guide with dates from 2024 to 2030.
September 12, 2026
Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish New Year (start of Hebrew year 5787). Shofar blasts, apples and honey, two days of prayer and festive meals.
September 21, 2026
Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year. A 25-hour fast from sundown to nightfall.
September 26, 2026
Sukkot
The festival of booths. A week of meals in the sukkah with the four species. The first two days are yom tov in the diaspora.
October 3, 2026
Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
The closing festival of Sukkot, followed by Simchat Torah: finishing and restarting the Torah reading with dancing. One combined day in Israel, two in the diaspora.
December 5, 2026
Hanukkah
The festival of lights: eight nights of candle lighting marking the rededication of the Temple. Latkes, sufganiyot and dreidels.
January 23, 2027
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 23, 2027
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 22, 2027
Passover (Pesach)
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
Frequently asked questions
When is Yom HaShoah?+
The next Yom HaShoah begins at sundown on May 3, 2027 and ends at nightfall on May 4, 2027. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the Gregorian date shifts each year while the season stays fixed.
What is Yom HaShoah?+
Yom HaShoah is Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, set by the Knesset on 27 Nisan. It is a day of state ceremonies, testimony and public reading of names.
Does Israel observe Yom HaShoah differently?+
Observed as a state day in Israel. Many diaspora communities mark it too, though some also observe international Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January.
What is Yom HaShoah like in Israel?+
A two-minute siren sounds at 10am and the country stops where it stands: drivers get out of their cars on the motorway and stand in silence. Places of entertainment are closed the evening before.