JNF’s archives shows Holocaust memorials in Israel from 1948
On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) selected some special visual moments from its archives to share with the public.
The chosen photos are meant to show the continuity of Holocaust memorials in Israel, presenting how people honoured the victims since the country’s establishment. Photos include scenes of memorial services, work projects, families, artifacts, and more from the early years of the State of Israel. One unique photo even shows the burial ceremony held in Jerusalem in 1949 with the ashes of about 200,000 Holocaust victims from Austria.
Other pictures illustrate ceremonies that have taken place since 1951 in the national commemoration site – the Forest of the Martyrs. Six million trees are planted in this special forest located in the Jerusalem mountains as a type of ‘memorial candle’, for those who perished. In the forest, there are monuments dedicated to memorialising the communities and individuals that have been lost forever.
Even in darkness, good must overcome, which is celebrated in an annual ceremony held in the forest on Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating Jews who helped Jews during the Holocaust.
Efrat Sinai, Director of the KKL-JNF Archives said: “On the occasion of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day, KKL-JNF photo archive reveals some moving moments from the early years of the State of Israel, paying respect to the fallen in unique memorial ceremonies. For the past 120 years, KKL-JNF has photographed the sites of the Land of Israel. The documentation project includes the new communities and cities, the landscapes, the pioneers, as well as founding events and ceremonies”.
