As mentioned, the ceremony is held on the eve of the Holocaust Remembrance Day and consists of two elements; lighting six candles and reading from a short Hagada. Both elements help parents open a discussion with their children about the Holocaust, just as they tell their children about the history of our people in Hanukkah, Purim and Passover. Of course, this is not a holiday- it is an evening for uniting with the memory of the heroism of those who perished, of the survivors and of the righteous among the nations, within the intimate and protective environment of the family.

Before reading the Hagada, six candles may be lit in the memory of the six million who perished. Two small candles in memory of the children, two medium ones in the memory of the parents, and two large ones in memory of the grandparents.

Lighting the six candles serves as an active 'companion' to the Hagada. The children feel pride, gaining faith and trust in the survival power of the Jewish people, and of themselves. It is an active way of commemoration, in which the participants express their will and most inner intentions to remember.

Next: the Hagada...