בס״ד
Welcome to
The Martef HaShoa
(The Chamber of the Holocaust)
Mount Zion, Jerusalem
Welcome to the new website of the Martef Hashoa.
We’re updating and improving—stay tuned for exciting updates soon!
The Original Holocaust Memorial Museum
Established in 1949 by Holocaust survivors in association with Rabbi Dr. Samuel Zangvil Kahane, Director-General of the Ministry of Religion of the new State of Israel, the primary function of the Martef HaShoa has always been as a Holocaust memorial.
Located on Mount Zion, Jerusalem just 20 meters east of the Tomb of King David, the Martef features a large, central memorial and other urns containing ashes from the victims of 22 Nazi extermination camps, along with memorial plaques for more than 1,000 Jewish communities destroyed during the Holocaust, generally sponsored by survivors from the communities themselves. From its inception and to the present day, the Martef has been the primary place for Holocaust survivors to assemble with their families on the anniversary of the destruction of their communities, to remember and reflect, to light candles, and to say kaddish and elevate the souls of those who were murdered by the Nazis and denied proper burial.
The Martef also features several exhibition rooms with a variety of artifacts, and is visited by many groups, young and old, from Israel and from the nations—all are welcome.
Located below the main, international study hall of the Diaspora Yeshiva, all of the Torah learning and prayers conducted in the Yeshiva are dedicated to the memory and merit of those who perished.
A Place to Remember and to Elevate
Chairman of the Martef HaShoa, Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein, introduces the Martef, its history and its significance.
Visit, Remember and Elevate
The Martef HaShoa is open regularly each week for a limited number of hours, Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are generally closed for Jewish holidays except by prior arrangement during Chol HaMoed.
While we are happy to welcome groups, please schedule your visit with us in advance.
“Entering the Martef HaShoa on Mt. Zion, one immediately senses an identity with the recent past of the Jewish people, a history at once awesome and tragic. Tablets of over 1,000 communities, now bereft of Jews, look down beseechingly upon you. They cry out to be remembered, asking your involvement, calling for your connection to your people’s past. The tablets are like eyes, awaiting your reaction. They urge you to open your heart to memory, to explore your roots and find your ancestral community. . . . Walk among the tablets, some of which represent over 16,000 bereaved families, read their story, say a prayer of Kaddish and above all, find your connection to the living body of the Jewish people today.”
– Author Unknown
Events & Media Coverage
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Wife Sarah Visit the Chamber
16 Oct 2017
Kan Media Coverage with Chamber Chairman Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein
29 Jan 2017
Browse Our Items
Support a Worthy Cause
The Martef HaShoa is not supported by the State and/or government bodies, and is in dire need of your support.