Remembrance in the Living Room [Zikaron b’Salon]: grassroots gatherings as new forms of Holocaust commemoration in Israel

Abstract

ABSTRACTRemembrance in the Living Room is a Jewish-Israeli social initiative providing an intimate format for commemoration on the eve of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance day, in the privacy of people’s homes. This initiative, which was launched in 2011 soon overshadowed other alternative ceremonies. The article analyses the way these gatherings differ from the performative acts of canonical and alternative ceremonies and suggests new strategies for audience engagement. These gatherings alter the role of the public and transform individuals from passive spectators into agents of Holocaust memory who represent various perspectives, themes, and insights. Its success indicates that this new performativity is reviving the fading interest of Jewish-Israelis (especially the younger generations) in the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day ceremonies thus creating a contemporary Israeli version of the pledge to ‘never forget’.