At exactly 10:00 am on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the country of Israel stood still to observe the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
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No matter where people are, where they were driving, or what they were doing, everyone was united in a moment of silence.
Almost everyone stopped what they were doing, including motorists, who stopped their cars in the middle of the road, stood beside their vehicles, and joined in the reflection.
In that exact moment, and for the following two minutes, an air raid siren sounded throughout the country, with almost every Israeli observing the two minutes of solemn reflection.
In Tel Aviv, the thriving Israeli metropolis where the hustle and bustle never stops, people stood still on the beach, in the streets, in high rise office buildings, and even on their bus commutes.
The siren heard across the country marks the beginning of the main daytime ceremonies for Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah, that began the night before with the official opening event at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.
Ceremonies across the country, including in schools, public institutions, army bases, and business will occur throughout the day.
An hour after the siren, at 11 a.m. local time, the "Unto Every Person There is a Name" ceremony at the Knesset begins featuring lawmakers reading out the names of Holocaust victims.
Holocaust Remembrance Day is the start of a week with three Israeli holidays, progressing from commemoration to celebration: Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron,a memorial day for soldiers killed in Israel's wars, and Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day.
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