Name ______Core ______Date ______

A Day of Remembering

JERUSALEM, Israel Sirens sounded across Israel on the morning of April 16. Millions of Israelis observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

The two-minute siren at 10 a.m. is a tradition on Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, which began on the evening of April 15 and ended the following day. The moment of silence brought life to a standstill. People froze in their tracks, buses stopped on busy streets, and cars on major highways pulled over. The whole country paused to pay respect to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. It was a moving experience to witness an entire country as it remained perfectly silent and motionless for the length of the siren.

The day was filled with remembrances. Television stations aired historical documentaries and movies. Radio stations played serious and sad music, as well as interviews with Holocaust survivors. Schools held memorial services, and Israeli flags waved at half-mast. Israeli leaders gathered with Holocaust survivors at YadVashem, the nation's official Holocaust memorial and museum, for the annual wreath-laying ceremony. Later, Israelis visited the museum's hall of remembrance to recite the names of Holocaust victims.

In Poland, meanwhile, thousands of Jews from around the world gathered at Auschwitz, the largest of the concentration camps. That is where over one million Jews were murdered years ago. The mourners walked two miles among the barracks, from the Auschwitz wrought-iron gates to Birkenau. Birkenau was the Auschwitz death camp, where most of the gas chambers were located. Many of the mourners were draped in blue-and-white Israeli flags.

"We are all very proud to walk with our flags," said Zohar Cohen, a 16-year-old visiting from Ashkelon, Israel. "Especially in this place in Poland, where the Germans tried to [kill] all Jews."

It was a day to mourn the past, but it was also a day to express hope for the future. At YadVashem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke. He pointed out that Israel would be celebrating its 59th independence day the following week.

"The renewal of the Jewish people, its shaking off the ashes of the Holocaust for a new life [in Israel], . . . is . . . its victory," he said.

Still, officials understand the increasing importance of maintaining the memory of the Holocaust. This is because the world is losing the survivors who can tell the truth about what happened during World War II. There are about 250,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel, about half of the worldwide total. As the generation of survivors gets older, there are fewer people who can speak about the horrors of the Holocaust and tell about this tragic period in history. The testimonies and memories of the survivors are necessary to stop Holocaust denial. This is important, historians say, because denial is not only disrespectful to the Holocaust victims, it is also an outrageous false re-writing of history. People need to learn about this chapter of world history and acknowledge the hatred that existed in order to prevent something like it from happening again.

YadVashem is leading a campaign to complete its collection of the names of Holocaust victims. The museum is also encouraging survivors to tell their stories and to fill out pages of testimony for those who were killed. That way, victims' names and stories will not be lost forever. So far, though, YadVashem has managed to gather only 3.1 million names. In the museum's Hall of Names, half the folders remain empty.

Michal Beer is well aware of the importance of remembering this sad event. Beer, 78, is a survivor of the Terezi concentration camp. She has submitted more pages of testimony than anyone else, documenting the lives of 450 friends and relatives, including her father and almost all of the Jews from her hometown. At YadVashem, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Beer read her list of names, stopping often to choke back tears.

"I feel as if a great weight has lifted from my heart," Beer said of the pages of testimony. "No one would have remembered them, if I hadn't done this—who would have? Soon, I will no longer be around. We really are the last ones."

Dictionary

barracks(noun)any large, plain building in which many people are lodged
denial(noun)the act of saying no or saying that something is not true
survivor(noun)someone who is still alive after facing great danger

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

1. According to the article, why did people observe a moment of silence on Holocaust Remembrance Day?

  1. They wanted to honor the people who lost their lives in all the wars around the world.
  2. They wanted to recognize a group of schoolchildren who were studying the Holocaust.
  3. They wanted to remember those who were killed by the Nazis in World War II.
  4. They wanted to listen to Israeli leaders speak about the Holocaust at YadVashem.

2. The best alternate headline for this article would be ______.

  1. A Day of Mourning for All the Lost Soldiers Around the World
  2. A Day of Celebration for the Opening of a New Holocaust Museum
  3. A Day of Mourning for the Victims of a Sad Time in History
  4. A Day of Celebration for the Ending of World War II

3. The reader can infer from the article that ______.

  1. Many people felt that radio and television stations should have done something to remember the Holocaust this year.
  2. Many people recently gathered at YadVashem to celebrate the opening of the museum.
  3. Many people recently gave firsthand testimonies of the battles fought during World War II.
  4. Many people expressed their sadness in different ways during Holocaust Remembrance Day.

4. The article says all of the following except ______.

  1. In Poland, thousands of Jews from around the world walked through Auschwitz.
  2. In Poland, thousands of Jews visited the Holocaust museum that recently opened there.
  3. Israelis visited YadVashem for the wreath-laying ceremony and the reading of Holocaust victims' names.
  4. Israelis observed a moment of silence to remember the Holocaust victims.

5. Which is the closest synonym for the word disrespectful?

  1. Unkind
  2. Reliable
  3. Influential
  4. Neutral

6. Think about the following statement made by Michal Beer: "I feel as if a great weight has lifted from my heart. No one would have remembered them, if I hadn't done this—who would have? Soon, I will no longer be around. We really are the last ones." The author's purpose for including this quote was to ______.

  1. Point out the need for the wreath-laying ceremony at YadVashem
  2. Convince people living in Poland to stop visiting YadVashem
  3. Describe how World War II began and ended
  4. Point out the importance of the personal testimonies of Holocaust survivors

7. Which is the closest synonym for the word renewal?

  1. Excursion
  2. Rebirth
  3. Merit
  4. Exile

8. This article is placed in a category of news called "History." In which other category would this article fit best?

  1. Business
  2. Across the U.S.
  3. World Beat
  4. Health

Opinion Question:In your opinion, what is the most important reason to have the Holocaust survivors' stories?

Thought Question: April 16 was a day to remember the Holocaust. Imagine that you were in Israel on this day. Describe what you experienced and how it made you feel. Explain why this day was important to you and those around you. Refer back to the article for ideas about what it must have been like to be in Israel on this day. Use descriptive language in your writing.