Etymology
The name "Yad Vashem" is taken from a verse in theHistory
The desire to establish a memorial in the historicalAdministration
In November 2008, rabbiObjectives
The aims of Yad Vashem are education, research and documentation, and commemoration. Yad Vashem organizes professional development courses for educators both in Israel and throughout the world; develops age-appropriate study programs, curricula, and educational materials for Israeli and foreign schools in order to teach students of all ages about the Holocaust; holds exhibitions about the Holocaust; collects the names of Holocaust victims; collects photos, documents, and personal artifacts; and collects''Yad Vashem Studies''
''Yad Vashem Studies'' is a peer-reviewed semi-annual scholarly journal on the Holocaust. Published since 1957, it appears in both English and Hebrew editions.Museum
Yad Vashem building on the Mount of Remembrance was inaugurated in 1957. Its first exhibits, opened on 1958, focused on documentation of the Holocaust. The second exhibition, opened in 1959, presented paintings from the Holocaust Ghettos and camps. In 1993, planning began for a larger, more technologically advanced museum to replace the old one. The new building, designed by Canadian-Israeli architectArchitecture
The first architect involved in the design of Yad Vashem wasHall of Names
The Hall of Names is a memorial to the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. The main hall is composed of two cones: one ten meters high, with a reciprocal well-like cone excavated into the underground rock, its base filled with water. On the upper cone is a display featuring 600 photographs of Holocaust victims and fragments ofArchives
The Archive is the oldest department of Yad Vashem. Before presenting an exhibition, Yad Vashem collects items. The best known of these are the historical photographs, as well as the Pages of Testimonies collected from survivors. The latter is a database of personal information about those who survived and those who were murdered in the Holocaust. Yad Vashem has also acquired access to the database of theRighteous Among the Nations
One of Yad Vashem's tasks is to honor non-Jews who risked their lives, liberty, or positions to save Jews during the Holocaust. To this end, a special independent commission, headed by a retired Supreme Court justice, was established. The commission members, including historians, public figures, lawyers, and Holocaust survivors, examine and evaluate each case according to a well-defined set of criteria and regulations. The Righteous receive a certificate of honor and a medal, and their names are commemorated in theArt gallery
Yad Vashem houses the world's largest collection of artwork produced by Jews and other victims of Nazi occupation in 1933–1945. The Yad Vashem Art Department supervises a 10,000-piece collection, adding 300 pieces a year, most of them donated by survivors' families or discovered in attics. Included in the collection are works byMonuments
*The monument to the heroes of thePrizes awarded by Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem awards the following book prizes: *Yad Vashem Prize for Children's Holocaust Literature *Awards bestowed upon Yad Vashem
*In 1973, the Pinkas HaKehillot (Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities) project of Yad Vashem was awarded theNotable visitors
Heads of state
Presidents
*Prime Ministers (heads of government)
*Royalty
* Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1994) * QueenUN Secretary-Generals
*Religious figures
*Others
*See also
* Gathering the fragments * International Holocaust Remembrance Day * List of Israel Prize recipients * List of Righteous Among the Nations by country * The Holocaust History Project * ''Yad Vashem: Preserving the Past to Ensure the Future'' * Yom HaShoahReferences
External links
* {{Authority control Yad Vashem, Mount Herzl Organizations established in 1953 Holocaust museums Israel Prize recipients that are organizations Israel Prize for special contribution to society and the State recipients Israel Prize for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society recipients History museums in Israel Museums in Jerusalem Monuments and memorials in Mount Herzl Moshe Safdie buildings Military and war museums