Yad Vashem Illuminates 2,000 Years of Jewish History in Summer Show

The site commemorates more than 5,000 Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa that were destroyed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

By Shula Rosen

Yad Vashem is presenting its seasonal Sound-and-Light Show at Jerusalem’s Valley of the Communities, offering visitors a 32-minute multimedia experience tracing 2,000 years of Jewish life in Europe and North Africa before focusing on the destruction of thousands of communities during the Holocaust.

Created as a joint project between Yad Vashem and the European Union, the presentation is staged in the 2.5-acre Valley of the Communities on the Mount of Remembrance.

The site commemorates more than 5,000 Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa that were destroyed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

The outdoor production combines laser projections, music and narration to portray Jewish spiritual, cultural and daily life from the destruction of the Second Temple until World War II.

During the presentation, laser lighting illuminates the valley’s 107 towering bedrock walls, where the names of the destroyed communities are engraved.

Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan said the project highlights the importance of understanding Jewish life before the Holocaust.

“Only by appreciating the vibrancy of Jewish life before the Shoah can we comprehend the enormity of the loss engendered by the Holocaust,” Dayan said. “This initiative is not only a fitting tribute to the murdered and their communities, but will also assist in the struggle against antisemitism and with the transmission of Jewish heritage to the next generations. We thank the European Union for its commitment to Holocaust remembrance, reflected in its assistance with this unique undertaking.”

Following the presentation, visitors may join a guided tour of the Valley of the Communities or explore its pathways and courtyards independently, including a 700-meter illuminated walkway.

The Sound-and-Light Show operates after sundown during the summer season, from April through the end of October. Shuttle buses depart from the Yad Vashem Entrance Plaza outside the Visitors Center, and advance registration is recommended through the museum’s official booking portal.