Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day)

Yom HaZikaron: Remembering the Fallen

Next: Tuesday, May 11, 20274 Iyar 5787In 179 days

Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers and the victims of terror, falls this year on Tuesday, May 11, 2027 and begins on the evening before. It is a day to remember them, and to say Tehillim and learn Torah for the elevation of their souls.

Yom HaZikaron is held on 4 Iyar, the day before Israel's Independence Day. When 4 Iyar falls close to Shabbat the day is moved, so it is not always on that date.

The day opens with a one-minute siren in the evening, and a two-minute siren sounds in the morning as the whole country stands still. Families visit the graves of their loved ones, and ceremonies are held across Israel and in communities around the world.

From a Jewish perspective, the best way to honor the fallen is to do something for their souls: to learn Torah, say Tehillim and Kaddish, give charity and do acts of kindness in their merit. The stories on this page tell of the soldiers and civilians we remember, and of the families who carry their memory forward.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yom HaZikaron 2027 falls on Tuesday, May 11, 2027, beginning the evening before. When 4 Iyar falls close to Shabbat, the day is moved. The dates for the next three years, with the Hebrew dates, are in the table on this page.

To join the two days: the independence of the State of Israel was made possible by those who gave their lives for it, and the joy of the next day begins with remembering them.

Learn Torah or say Tehillim for the elevation of their souls, give charity in their memory, attend a ceremony, or take on a mitzvah or an act of kindness in the name of one soldier or victim. Reading their stories and passing them on is also a way of remembering.

The soldiers and members of the security forces who fell in Israel's wars and in its defense, and the civilians who were murdered in acts of terror.