Cafes Close Early in Israel as Nation Mourns the Holocaust

Jerusalem, 5 May, 2024 (TPS) -- Ordinarily, cafes, pubs and other places of entertainment would remain open in Tel Aviv well into the night, even on a Sunday night. But Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day is being observed in Israel, beginning officially at 8 PM Sunday night.

On this night, each year, all places of entertainment, including movie theaters and even stores, are closed as part of a national state of mourning.

Because of this, street side cafes, such as the one pictured above, stacked up their tables and chairs and shut their doors before it even got dark outside.

Places of entertainment, however, reopen in the daytime.

Sunday night, all three of Israel’s broadcast television channels will show the official ceremonies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial. This will be followed by Holocaust related programming.

Even the entertainment cable television channels in Israel either suspend their broadcasting or show only movies and documentaries related to the Holocaust.

Tel Aviv, May 5, 2024
Photo by Gideon Markowicz/TPS