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How Yom Hashoah is being marked in New York City
(New York Jewish Week) — Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, begins this year on the evening of Monday, April 17 and lasts through Tuesday, April 18. The day is Israel’s official day of commemoration of the Holocaust and is marked by Jewish communities and congregations worldwide.
The date was chosen in 1951 to mark the anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, whose 80th anniversary is being marked this year. On April 19, 1943, German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport its surviving inhabitants to concentration camps and killing centers. Jewish insurgents fought back for nearly a month before the rebellion was crushed.
Below is a list of events, panels, screenings and gatherings happening in New York City next week to commemorate the lives of the six million murdered and the heroism of the Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.
April 16
Annual Gathering of Remembrance at Temple Emanu-El
The Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and Temple Emanu-El partner to host the annual “Gathering of Remembrance” on Sunday beginning at 2:00 p.m. The in-person and live streamed event will include speeches from Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations; U.S. Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-New York) and Holocaust survivors Toby Levi, Ilana Yaari and Jerry Lindenstraus. There will also be performances from HaZamir International Jewish Teen Choir and Steven Skybell. Register here.
“Celebration of Life and Hope” concert with Holocaust Music Lost & Found
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m., join Holocaust Music Lost & Found for a free concert and conversation at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. The concert will feature songs written during the Holocaust and will be hosted by Israeli cellist Elad Kabilio. More information here.
April 17
Reading of the Names on the Upper West Side
From Monday night through Tuesday, Upper West Side congregations will come together to read the names of victims of the Holocaust and commemorate their lives. The readings will occur from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. at Congregation Ansche Chesed (251 W. 100th St.) and from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.). The readings will also be livestreamed. For more information, click here.
Stories of Survival and Remembrance at the United Nations
The United Nations is opening a brand new exhibit in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day: “Stories of Survival and Remembrance: A Call to Action for Genocide Prevention.” Per the website, the exhibit “reveals the lives of those impacted by war, trauma, displacement and exile through the Holocaust, genocide and other atrocity crimes in Cambodia, Srebrenica and Rwanda, while reflecting on how the UN has responded to genocide and atrocity crimes since its establishment.” It will be on display through June 15.
Additionally, on Monday at 10:00 a.m., the United Nations is hosting a panel discussion with Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert and her great-grandson Dov Forman, who in 2022 together published “Lily’s Promise,” Ebert’s memoir of her time in Auschwitz and the aftermath. They will be in conversation with Holocaust historian Debórah Dwork. The discussion will take place online. Register for the link here.
Film Screening of “Mathilde et Rosette” at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
The Carole Zabar Center for Film is screening Mathilde et Rosette on Monday at 7:00 p.m. The French documentary tells the story of director Alice Ekman’s visit to her 92-year-old great uncle to uncover 75 years of her family’s secret and traumatic history. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ekman, moderated by Scott Richman, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League. Tickets start at $16, register here.
Screening and Conversation at 92NY
On Monday at 7:30 p.m., join 92NY for a screening of the documentary “Four Winters: A Story of Jewish Partisan Resistance and Bravery in WWII,” which tells the story of eight survivors who joined the Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. A conversation with director Julia Mintz will follow the screening at 9:15 p.m. The conversation will also be livestreamed. Tickets from $18, register here.
Yom HaShoah with the Manhattan Jewish Experience
The Manhattan Jewish Experience (131 W. 86th St.) invites New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s to commemorate Yom HaShoah on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Holocaust survivor Gerd Korman, author of “Nightmare’s Fairy Tale: A Young Refugee’s Home Fronts, 1938–1948” will share his story, with a dessert reception to follow. Tickets from $10, available here.
The Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, located at the south end of the Promenade at 83rd Street in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, will be site of an annual gathering on Wednesday, April 19. (Riverside Park Conservancy)
April 19
Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at Der Shteyn
The Congress for Jewish Culture, Friends of the Bund, Jewish Labor Committee, the Workers Circle and YIVO will join together to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The annual gathering will take place on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at Der Shteyn, a memorial stone in Riverside Park between 83rd and 84th Street. The event will include speeches and performances. It will also be recorded. Find more information here.
The Sound of the Siren: The History of the Holocaust and the Rise of Global Antisemitism
The New York City Bar Association will host a lunchtime panel discussion on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. featuring experts, Holocaust survivors and advocates who work to counteract Holocaust denial. This event will share three reports of the NYC Bar Association which address antisemitic conspiracy theories and the rise of antisemitism. The program is free for members and non-lawyers and $15 for non-member lawyers. Lunch will be served. Register here.
April 20
Women, Theater and the Holocaust
On April 20 at 7:30 p.m., Remember the Women Institute is hosting an evening of dramatic readings of plays and monologues about the Holocaust in partnership with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and the National Jewish Theater Foundation. The in-person event will be at the JCC Manhattan and will coincide with the launch of the fifth edition of Remember the Women Institute’s “Women, Theater, and the Holocaust Resource Handbook.” Tickets from $10, register here.
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Report: US, Israel Preparing for Resumptions of Strikes Against Iran
US President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign a memorandum in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Evan Vucci
i24 News – The United States and Israel are engaged in intense preparations — the largest since the cease-fire took effect — for the possible resumption of attacks against Iran as early as next week, the New York Times reported Saturday citing two Middle East officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Mako News reported Israeli official sources as saying that US President Donald Trump is expected to convene his closest team of advisors in the next 24 hours to make a final decision on the Iran matter. Israel estimates that a decision on military action may be made very soon, the report added.
According to NYT, should Trump decide to resume military strikes, options include more aggressive raids targeting Iranian military and infrastructure targets, US officials said.
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Trump Says Xi Agrees Iran Must Open Strait, But No Sign China Will Weigh In
US President Donald Trump participates in events at the Great Hall of the People and does a greeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping May 14, 2026, in Beijing China during a trip focused on trade, regional security, and strengthening bilateral ties between the world’s two largest economies. Photo: Kenny Holston/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though China gave no indication it would weigh in.
Flying back from Beijing on Friday after two days of talks with Xi, Trump said he was considering whether to lift US sanctions on Chinese oil companies buying Iranian oil. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
“I’m not asking for any favors because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return,” Trump said when asked by a reporter on Air Force One whether Xi had made a firm commitment to put pressure on the Iranians to reopen the strait.
Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump about Iran, although China’s foreign ministry criticized the war, calling it a conflict “which should never have happened, has no reason to continue.”
‘WE WANT THE STRAITS OPEN’
Iran has effectively shut the strait, which carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply before the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28. The disruption to shipping has caused the biggest oil supply crisis in history, pushing up oil prices.
Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday that Tehran had prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the strait along a designated route that would be unveiled soon.
Azizi said only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit, and that fees would be collected for specialized services provided under the mechanism.
Thousands of Iranians were killed in the US and Israeli airstrikes. Thousands more have been killed in Lebanon in fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, though Israel and Lebanon agreed on Friday to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the conflict there.
The US paused its attacks last month but began a port blockade. As of Saturday, 78 commercial ships had been redirected and four disabled to ensure compliance with the blockade, the US military said.
Tehran, which carried out strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states after the war began, has said it will not unblock the strait until the US ends its blockade. Trump has threatened to resume attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said in Beijing, alongside Xi.
Iran, which has long denied it intends to build a nuclear weapon, has refused to end nuclear research or relinquish its hidden stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had received messages from the US indicating Washington was willing to continue talks.
Pakistan has been mediating between Washington and Tehran. Iranian news agency Nournews said Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had held “detailed” discussions with his visiting Pakistani counterpart on Iran-Pakistan relations and the prospects for resuming peace talks, but gave no details.
TRUMP LOSING PATIENCE
Trump, who told Fox News’ “Hannity” program in an interview aired on Thursday that he was losing patience with Iran, said Tehran “should make a deal.”
Oil prices rose around 3 percent to around $109 a barrel on Friday [O/R] on concerns about a lack of progress in resolving the conflict.
Talks on ending the war, which has become a liability for Trump ahead of US congressional elections in November, have been on hold since last week when Iran and the US each rejected the other’s most recent proposals.
Araqchi said on Friday that Iran would welcome Chinese input, adding that Tehran was trying to give diplomacy a chance but did not trust the US, which has curtailed previous rounds of talks by launching air strikes.
When the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran at the end of February, they said one of their aims was to weaken the authorities so Iranians could topple the government.
There has been little sign of organized dissent in Iran during the war, and rights groups say the government has cracked down heavily on its opponents.
Iran’s judiciary said on Saturday that 39 people had been executed for collaborating with Israeli or US spy agencies, or taking part in “terror” or armed unrest, since the war started, the judiciary’s news agency Mizan reported.
It said 36 “medium-level” dissidents had received long prison sentences.
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Tens of Thousands March in London in Separate Immigration, Pro‑Palestinian Protests
Protesters take part in a “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, May 16, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in two separate protests – one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians.
Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the capital, and pledged “the most assertive possible use of our powers” in what they called their biggest public order operation in years.
By 1200 GMT, shortly after both marches started, police said they had made 11 arrests for a range of offenses. They had earlier forecast turnout of at least 80,000.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday accused organizers of the Unite the Kingdom march of “peddling hate and division, plain and simple.”
The march was organized by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson. The government barred 11 people it described as “foreign far-right agitators” from entering Britain to address the protest.
A previous protest led by Robinson in September drew around 150,000 people, police said, and featured a video address by US tech billionaire Elon Musk. More than 20 people were arrested, and police are still seeking more than 50 suspects.
MARCHERS WAVE BRITISH AND ENGLISH FLAGS
On Saturday, Robinson supporters gathered in central London, waving mainly British and English flags.
“I think that too much migration – not migration, but too much migration – is causing a lot of problems, upsetting a delicate balance here,” said Allison Parr, who also criticized net-zero environmental policies.
Annual net migration approached 900,000 in 2022 and 2023, but fell back to around 200,000 last year after tighter work visa rules.
Concern over immigration – including the arrival of asylum seekers on small boats – has weighed on Starmer’s popularity and boosted the right-wing Reform UK party, whose leader Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Robinson.
Some protesters chanted abuse about Starmer.
Robinson, who has convictions for assault, stalking and other offenses, urged supporters this week to act peacefully in what he billed as “the greatest patriotic display the world has ever seen.”
Earlier this year, he traveled to the US, where he met a State Department official and addressed supporters about what he called “the dangers of Islam” and “the Islamification of Great Britain.”
Census data showed 6.5 percent of people in England and Wales identified as Muslim in 2021, up from 4.9 percent in 2011.
PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS MARK NAKBA DAY
Nearby, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held a march to mark Nakba Day, commemorating Palestinians’ loss of land in the 1948 war that followed the creation of Israel. “Nakba” means catastrophe in Arabic.
The march also drew those opposing the Unite the Kingdom rally, alongside predominantly Palestinian flags.
London has recently seen a spate of arson attacks on Jewish sites, and two Jewish men were stabbed last month in an incident being treated as terrorism.
Police said repeated large pro-Palestinian marches – 33 since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 – had left many Jewish people feeling too intimidated to enter central London.
While protesters held a range of views, police said they routinely made arrests for racially and religiously aggravated public order offenses, inciting racial hatred or supporting proscribed organizations.
The government said police would arrest protesters who chanted “globalize the intifada,” a reference to Palestinian uprisings against Israel that many British Jews view as inciting antisemitism.
Some protesters on Saturday chanted “Death to the IDF”, referring to the Israeli army – language that police said had previously been a reason for arrests when aimed at Jewish people.