In just a few hours Israelis will begin commemorating Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, the central theme of which [this year] is Defiance and Rebellion during the Holocaust: 70 Years Since the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The official Opening Ceremony will take place tonight at 20:00, in Warsaw Ghetto Square, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. The President, Prime Minister, dignitaries, Holocaust survivors and their families, and the general public will participate. During the ceremony six torches representing the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust will be kindled.

Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. a two-minute siren will sound across Israel that will mark the beginning of numerous ceremonies around the country. At Yad Vashem, a wreath laying ceremony will be held with the participation of dignitaries and official representatives of survivor organizations and other institutions. Throughout the day the names of Holocaust victims will be publicly recited in the Hall of Remembrance.

Towards evening, the annual Ceremony for Youth Movements will be held in the Valley of the Communities at Yad Vashem.