Israelis have stood still for a nationwide moment of silence in remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
A two-minute siren wailed across the country and the nation paid respects to those systematically killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators in the World War II.
 As every year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, buses and cars came to a halt as Israelis stepped out of their vehicles, standing with heads bowed in solemn remembrance.
The sombre day is also marked by ceremonies and memorials at schools and community centres.
Restaurants and cafes in the ordinarily bustling streets of Tel Aviv close, and TV and radio stations play Holocaust-themed programs.
Dignitaries laid wreaths at Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
Read the article by Ilan Ben Zion in The Courier.