Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday to discuss the importance of Holocaust remembrance and research, including its significance for the Catholic world.
Dayan and the Pope raised the idea of potential collaborations between the Vatican and Yad Vashem regarding Holocaust commemoration, documentation, and education, particularly in addressing Holocaust distortion and rising antisemitism.
The Vatican archives may be particularly useful in advancing Holocaust research and expanding knowledge about Jews who perished or survived, Dayan mentioned.
'Where art thou?' A tribute gift
Dayan presented the Pope with a reproduction of the artwork Where Art Thou? by painter Carol Deutsch, one of a series of 99 pieces depicting stories and figures from the Bible that Deutsch created in 1941 for his young daughter. Deutsch was later murdered in the Holocaust.
This piece was chosen as a tribute to Pope Francis, who quoted the biblical passage that inspired the artwork's title in his 2014 speech at Yad Vashem.
A passage from the speech was inscribed on the gift.
In addition to 2014, Dayan met with Pope Francis during his last visit to the Vatican in 2022.
At the end of the meeting, Dayan invited the Pope to visit Yad Vashem. The previous three popes all visited Yad Vashem, reflecting the Roman Catholic Church's connection to Holocaust remembrance and the Jewish people.
“The meeting was warm and highly constructive. His Holiness underscored the importance he places on preserving the memory of the Holocaust and reaffirmed his commitment to advancing our shared goals,” Chairman Dayan said following the meeting. “We also addressed the alarming rise in antisemitism worldwide and the urgent need for coordinated, decisive action to confront it.”