Skip to main content
An Israeli flag flying against the stones of the Western Wall

Holiday guide

Yom HaZikaron

Yom HaZikaron is Israel's memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, deliberately placed the day before Independence Day so that grief and celebration touch.

Benjamin Istanbuli / Unsplash

Next Yom HaZikaron
Sundown May 10, 2027 to nightfall May 11, 2027

…

Full Yom HaZikaron 2027 page, with candle lighting times →

Israel or the diaspora?

Primarily an Israeli state day, marked in many diaspora communities with ceremonies.

Sunset over Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock in the middle distance.

On the ground

What happens in Israel

Two sirens, one in the evening and one the following morning. Ceremonies at every military cemetery, and the transition at sundown into Independence Day is abrupt and deliberate.

Why the date moves each year: the Hebrew calendar →

These Hanukkah gifts are drawn from the same calendars as this site.

A city's Shabbat times for 2027, the moon on the night someone was born, a bar or bat mitzvah portion, the Kinneret on a day that matters. Each one is drawn for the person you choose, then printed and shipped free.

Order by November 18 for delivery in the US before the first candle, or by November 11 for Israel.

See the Hanukkah gift guide →

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.

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).

May 4, 2027

Yom HaShoah

Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.

May 12, 2027

Yom HaAtzmaut

Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.

May 25, 2027

Lag BaOmer

The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.

June 11, 2027

Shavuot

The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.

The full holiday calendar →

Frequently asked questions

When is Yom HaZikaron?+

The next Yom HaZikaron begins at sundown on May 10, 2027 and ends at nightfall on May 11, 2027. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the Gregorian date shifts each year while the season stays fixed.

What is Yom HaZikaron?+

Yom HaZikaron is Israel's memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, deliberately placed the day before Independence Day so that grief and celebration touch.

Does Israel observe Yom HaZikaron differently?+

Primarily an Israeli state day, marked in many diaspora communities with ceremonies.

What is Yom HaZikaron like in Israel?+

Two sirens, one in the evening and one the following morning. Ceremonies at every military cemetery, and the transition at sundown into Independence Day is abrupt and deliberate.

Israel.com is free to use, with no paywall and no sign-up, and its readers keep it that way. Support Israel.com

Keep exploring