The world's Jewish population today numbers some 2 million fewer than before World War II, according to figures published by the Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.
The numbers, accurate as of 2016, indicate a global Jewish population of 14.511 million, compared to the 16.6 million Jews in the world in 1939 – including 449,000 living in pre-state Israel – prior to the Holocaust.
By the time Israel was founded in 1948, the Nazi genocide had reduced the number of Jews in the world to 11.5 million, including 650,000 living in the nascent Jewish state, which means that 6% of world Jewry at the time lived in Israel, compared to 44% today.
As Israel prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, it is home to more Jews than any other country in the world – over 6.4 million, the CBS notes. The second-largest Jewish population (5.7 million) lives in the U.S., while the Jewish populations of France and Canada number 456,000 and 390,000, respectively.
Britain is home to 290,000 Jews; Argentina's Jewish population stands at 181,000, and 176,000 Jews call Russia home. Another 117,000 Jews live in Germany and 113,000 live in Australia.
At sundown Wednesday, Israel will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to attend the main government event at Yad Vashem, which begins at 8 p.m. During the ceremony, former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau – himself a Holocaust survivor – and representative of the survivor community Zipora Nahir will speak.
Six Holocaust survivors will light memorial torches, and short films will tell each of their life stories.
In addition to the state ceremony, various associations that provide aid and support for Holocaust victims and their families will be holding commemorative events nationwide. Some 800,000 schoolchildren will be lighting candles as part of the Name and Candle project, which aims to ensure that the memories of Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis are never forgotten. The students recently received candles inscribed with the names of Jews killed in the Holocaust. Each candle is labeled with a code that links to a site containing more details about the victims' lives.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett said, "The commemoration of the Holocaust is rooted in education, especially as in the next few years we will no longer have the live testimonies of Holocaust survivors, as they will not be here to tell their stories. Inculcating the memory is a national mission of the utmost importance."
According to the National Insurance Institute, 168,540 Holocaust survivors are living in Israel today. In the past two years, since March 2016, over 26,000 survivors have passed away.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot has issued a special directive for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"We, the commanders of the IDF and its soldiers, bear a responsibility to remember the Holocaust survivors who fought to make aliyah and establish the state. A place they could call home, and which by making their dream a reality helped shape our country as a flourishing national home. To remember the Holocaust survivors who fought in the past: the last ones remaining of their families, who with hearts heavy with longing for loved ones who were gone, picked themselves up from the dust and with their last bit of strength founded the state of Israel, then died fighting for its existence," he wrote.
"We bear a responsibility to honor Holocaust survivors who found the strength to choose life – a life of activity, contribution, and creativity, who chose to build and develop our country, who chose to tell their stories and leave their imprint on the wall of memory.
"IDF officers and soldiers – for us, the soldiers and commanders who bear the responsibility for the safety of the people – this day takes on another meaning. We must remember that the mission of defense is not over; the state of Israel can keep growing only thanks to a defensive wall that is powerful and fortified – the Israel Defense Forces. An official, professional people's army that ensures the existence of Israel as a fortress of safety for the entire Jewish people.
"In the face of every threat, on our borders and deep inside enemy territory, we will continue to bolster the IDF's place as a strong military that is ready to serve its purpose and defend the country, ensure its existence, and if necessary – win wars," Eizenkot wrote.
