What is Yom Ha Shoah and Why is it Important?

It is Yom Ha Shoah (Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG’vurah), or the Jewish Holocaust Day of Remembrance as it is commonly known. It is distinct from the more public day of remembrance for the Holocaust (which occurs in January) in that it is intended for the Jewish people to reflect on the loss and persecution that occurred at the hands of the Nazi regime in Europe in the 1930s and 40s.

I was born into a family that experienced that period in a multitude of ways. The stories of survival are miraculous and heart-wrenching, but they are long and mostly for…