Operation DUGO

Operation Dugo is an annual Israeli cultural and remembrance event held on January 18 to honor Holocaust survivors and commemorate the death marches from Auschwitz. It began in 2016, inspired by Holocaust survivor David “Dugo” Leitner, who would eat falafel on that date as a personal symbol of survival. Over time, this ritual became public, with people, schools, and organizations in Israel and worldwide participating by eating falafel and sharing the experience to remember resilience and educate about the Holocaust.

It is not a military operation, but a symbolic, life-affirming commemoration.