Yad Vashem is Israel’s sanctioned memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is devoted to conserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; recognizing Jews who fought against their Nazi tyrants and gentiles who selflessly protected Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the purpose of avoiding similar events in the future.
Established in 1953, Yad Vashem is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl, also known as the Mount of Remembrance, a height in western Jerusalem, 804 measures ( ft) above ocean position and conterminous to the Jerusalem Forest. The museum consists of a 180-dunam complex containing two types of facilities: some devoted to the scientific study of the Holocaust and genocide in general, and monuments and galleriescatering to the needs of the larger public.
A core goal of Yad Vashem’s establishers was to commemorate non-Jews who, through great personal danger and without fiscal support, chose to save Jews from the ongoing genocide during the Holocaust. Those honored by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations are recognized in a section of Yad Vashem known as the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations.
Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli site, after the Western Wall, with roughly one million visitors annually. Entrance is free.
