Rabbi David Leibel has called on the haredi community to reconsider its approach to Holocaust Remembrance Day and to take a more active role in commemorating it. Writing in the Achvata journal of the Achvat Torah network, he said the character of the day has changed over time, shifting from an emphasis on heroism and rebellion to a day focused on mourning the six million victims.

He acknowledged longstanding concerns within the haredi community, including religious restrictions on establishing days of mourning during the month of Nissan and the traditional view that new commemorations should be instituted only by leading Torah sages. These factors, he explained, have contributed to the community’s limited participation and have sometimes created tension with the broader secular public.

However, Rabbi Leibel argued that circumstances have evolved and that continued distance may no longer be appropriate. He suggested that participation could take forms consistent with Jewish law, such as reciting Psalms, in order to express solidarity and affirm that the pain of the Holocaust is shared by the entire nation.