yad

Yad is the Hebrew word for hand. In general use, it appears in biblical and modern Hebrew as well as in many proper names. In Jewish religious practice, yad also denotes a ceremonial pointer used when reading from a Torah scroll. The pointer helps the reader follow the text without touching the parchment.

Torah pointers are typically slender sticks of metal, ivory, wood, or other materials, ending in a decorative hand or fingertip. A yad is raised along the lines of text as the reader recites, and community customs vary regarding whether to touch the scroll otherwise. The object is often treated with reverence, though it is not itself sacred.

Yad Vashem is the official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Israel. The phrase "Yad Vashem" means "a hand and a name," derived from a verse in Isaiah, and the name was adopted for the center. Established in 1953 and located on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, it serves as the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. Its activities include a museum, archives, a library, an educational institute, and a vast database of victims' names. The center collects testimonies, artifacts, and scholarly works to document and teach about the Holocaust and to honor victims and survivors.