Yad Vashem is Israel’s official Holocaust memorial and research institution.
Its full Hebrew name means “a memorial and a name,” echoing Isaiah 56:5. The institution was established in Jerusalem in 1953 through an act of Israel’s Knesset. Its work includes remembrance, education, archival research, documentation, and honoring non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Yad Vashem maintains the Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names, which seeks to restore victims’ identities and personal histories. Its campus includes the Holocaust History Museum, the Hall of Names, memorials, archives, and educational facilities. The title comes from the biblical passage’s promise of an enduring name, reflecting the institution’s focus on individual victims rather than statistics alone.