Holocaust Remembrance Day began Monday night with a solemn state ceremony at Yad Vashem, where Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered a message tying the memory of the Holocaust to the challenges facing Israel today.

Opening his remarks, Herzog noted that this year’s commemoration is taking place “during a time of war,” offering “words of strength and encouragement” to both soldiers and civilians. While acknowledging the length and difficulty of the current conflict, he said he remains “confident that we will emerge from it strengthened and empowered.”

He centered part of his address on the story of Master Sergeant Asaf Cafri, a 26-year-old IDF reservist who was killed in Gaza a year ago, presenting the family’s experience as emblematic of the broader national story. During a condolence visit, Herzog encountered Cafri’s great-grandmother, Holocaust survivor Magda Baratz, whom he described as sitting quietly, “her eyes…carrying a pain both old and new.”

Herzog recounted Baratz’s wartime ordeal, explaining that she was deported from a ghetto in Transylvania to Auschwitz, where she was separated from her family forever. “We looked at each other and knew: ‘We will never see each other again,’” she had written. He described how she endured forced labor, death marches, hunger, and brutal conditions, ultimately surviving and being freed from Bergen-Belsen at the age of sixteen, weighing just twenty kilograms.

Following the war, Baratz came to Israel, married another survivor, and rebuilt her life. Herzog highlighted her perspective, quoting her words: “This is my victory: to survive, to immigrate to the Land of Israel, and to establish a dynasty.” He noted that she went on to raise a large, multi-generational family.

He described the painful moment when, at a ceremony marking the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Baratz was informed that her great-grandson Asaf had been killed in combat. Drawing a link between their lives, Herzog said that despite the decades separating them, “one spirit bound these generations: a spirit of heroism, of devotion, of determination.”

Reflecting on a visit during the family’s mourning period, Herzog said he witnessed “four generations in one home” and questioned whether any other nation could endure “such a story of pain and heroism.” He added that Baratz passed away shortly afterward, unable to bear the weight of her grief.

Broadening his remarks, Herzog turned to the historical reality of the Holocaust, noting that about six million Jews were murdered and emphasizing that the Nazis “made no distinction” between them. “To them, we were one people,” he said, with destruction decreed against all.

He spoke about the central role of family in Jewish identity, describing the Jewish people as “a large and expansive family, bound by history, by deep roots, by a shared destiny.” Despite the devastation, he said, the nation chose “not merely to survive, but to grow, to create, to rebuild.”

Addressing present-day events, Herzog pointed to Israel’s ongoing war following the October 7 massacre and highlighted what he described as the country’s resilience. He said he has seen “solidarity, the heroism, the devotion, and the mutual responsibility” throughout Israeli society.

At the same time, he warned about internal divisions, stressing the importance of unity. “A family may argue, but it must never tear itself apart,” he said, adding that the Jewish people “did not rise from the ashes…only to be consumed by the fire of discord.”

Herzog also referenced recent military operations, including cooperation with the United States and ongoing activity on multiple fronts. He acknowledged the heavy cost of the fighting and expressed empathy for bereaved families and the wounded, saying, “I see you, I share your pain.”

He commended emergency responders and security forces, noting the transformation from the helplessness of Holocaust victims to the strength of a sovereign state, declaring that “the striped prisoner’s uniform has been replaced by the IDF uniform.”

Warning of increasing antisemitism worldwide, Herzog urged international leaders to take meaningful action, stating that “empty words will not cover up inaction.”

He concluded by honoring Holocaust survivors, calling them “a source of inspiration…a symbol of the human spirit,” and pledged that Israel will continue to preserve their legacy for future generations.

Closing with the words of Magda Baratz, Herzog quoted her enduring hope: “I continue to believe that it will be good here… I believe this with all my heart.” He said that this belief continues to resonate across Israel today, ending with a note of confidence: “Yes, yes, it will be good here.”