Arlene Kushner on Yom HaZikaron

From Arlene Kushner:
May 5, 2014

"Yom HaZikaron"

Credit: Erinamsili

Credit: Haifa-Israel

Credit: Porisrael

Credit: Na’ama Yehuda

Israel’s Memorial day – a day for remembering all those from our defense forces who have died defending the country, and all those who have died at the hands of terrorists.  It is a day of national mourning.  Just about everyone in the country has either suffered a personal loss or knows someone else who has.

I dedicate this posting to all of them.

Arlene Kushner on Yom HaZikaron -- And Yom Haatzmaut (Includes Videos)

From Arlene Kushner:
April 15, 2013

Ties That Bind

Credit: Tomer Neuberg/Flash 90

Yom HaZikaron -- Memorial Day, a day of national mourning -- began last night with a siren at 8 PM.

You can see here a small video segment of ceremonies that took place at the Kotel last night:

Read: Israel Remembers Its War Dead

Yom HaZikaron will end tonight, when the nation will turn in a flash to Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Independence Day, a day of national celebration.

I have commented several times on the startlingly abrupt shift in mood, which, while it is somehow emblematic of the Jewish people with the ups and downs of our national life, also seemed -- what? -- strange.

This year it has somehow come together for me with startling clarity:

"When the Israeli Soldier Arrived in Heaven…"

When the Israeli Soldier Arrived in Heaven…

by Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu
Posted by JewishMom

This powerful and intensely moving story was written by Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu in 1974, when he was a young student at Yeshivat HaKotel, shortly after many of his classmates were tragically killed in the Yom Kippur War. With special thanks to Yedidya Meir and Sivan Rahav Meir.

And when he arrived there, in Heaven, the gate was open

And he entered inside like a regular visitor, with a sure step

And from all sides, from all over

Dozens and dozens of elderly men surrounded him

Barry Rubin: Seated Among the Heroes and Watching the Faces of the Martyrs

The following by Barry Rubin is reposted with permission:

Seated Among the Heroes and
Watching the Faces of the Martyrs

By Barry Rubin

As we set out down Ibn Gvirol Street to the Herzliya Gymnasia high school, all the stores were closing. The police cordoned off the street to vehicles and, as on Yom Kippur, hundreds of people strolled down the middle of the pavement. Past the city hall, where a concert was starting up, we walked and then past the small memorial of restless stones that marks the place where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.

That night in November 1995, I’d come home from the peace rally that had turned into a mass of mourners when the news spread that Rabin had been murdered a few meters away. I walked, crying, into the small room, then a family room and now our office where I’m writing this. Our daughter sat on my wife’s lap.

Yedidya Atlas: Personal Reflections on Yom HaZikaron for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror

Personal Reflections on Yom HaZikaron for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror

By: Lt. Colonel (res.) Rabbi Yedidya Atlas

As we approach the double days of Israel’s Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzma’ut this week, I once again reflected on the meaning of this juxtaposition of official holidays – one representing the ultimate sadness of a people, the second, the ultimate national joy.

Last year, we read the weekly Torah portion – Parshat Emor on the 3rd of the Hebrew month of Iyar, which would have been on the Eve of Yom Hazikaron – the official Memorial for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror – were it not to have fallen on Shabbat.

In Parshat Emor it is written: “And I will be sanctified among the Children of Israel…” (Leviticus 22, 32). The great medieval commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomi Yitzhaki) explains that this verse implies a positive act of sanctification, that this act of making holy G-d’s Name is understood to mean that if necessary, in certain circumstances, one sacrifices oneself and by doing so, one makes G-d’s Name holy.

YOM HAZIKARON: Aliyah Step-By-Step contrasts last year's commemoration ceremony with this year's--but the tears are still there.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

VIDEOS FROM YOM HAZIKARON: Israel At Level Ground has videos of ceremonies and tributes on Yom HaZikaron.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

ISRAELI ARABS CELEBRATE YOM HAZIKARON: Israel Matzav has the story.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

FROM YOM HASHOAH TO YOM HAZIKARON: Jerusalem Diaries notes the change in mood--and that 233 names have been added.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

RECALLING A FALLEN FRIEND: Lazer Beams recalls Mahlouf Cohen--"Some memories just never fade away"

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON YOM HAZIKARON: Rafi G at Life in Israel shares his personal thoughts and memories about Yom HaZikaron

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

YOM HAZIKARON--A PERSONAL STORY: The Muqata has a post about Mrs. Cheryl Mandel, who spoke about her son Daniel who was killed. Jameel writes:

It saddened me to hear her say that, "When Daniel was killed in the line of duty as an IDF solider defending Israel, we were no longer olim chadashim...'new immigrants'...as we joined the ranks of Israelis as families of fallen soldiers."

The post includes a video about Daniel Mandel

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom Hazikaron.

PASSION--ISRAEL VS. GALUS: Rabbi Zvi Grumet writes about the pro's and con's of passion as Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut approach.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut.

YOM HAZIKARON VS. MEMORIAL DAY: Ra'anana Ramblings has some thoughts from last year about something that Israel 'gets right'

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

YOM HAZIKARON: West Bank Mama has some thoughts.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Yom HaZikaron.

YOM HASHOAH--ISRAEL VS. GALUS: View From a Height puts the contrast this way:

Yom HaShoah, in Israel, is actually called Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day. It, along with Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut (stay tuned for next week) stress the importance of taking positive action, as a people and as individuals, to prevent evil and promote good. This means prayer and study, but also means picking up a gun and defending your country and your family. It is a message that is compatible with, but different from, the message of Tisha B'Av.

I'm afraid that the fact that Israel focuses on the Heroes and that American Jews tend to focus on the Martyrs says something unsettling about American Jewry - that we haven't really overcome the Galut, or Exile, mentality. That we are more comfortable seeing the world through the lens of victimhood than the lens of self-reliance. Which pretty much condemns us to relive that experience, too.

Read the whole thing.
[Hat tip: Boker Tov, Boulder]

When I was teaching in a Yeshiva Ketana, there was a special project for the 8th grade to write reports on various aspects of the Holocaust. One year, I got approval from the Principal to teach a mini-course about the history of modern Israel--but there were no textbooks available.

I think part of the reason is this Galus mentality.

Technorati Tag: Yom HaShoah.

Israel Meme Roundup

Based on a thought that came to me during Shabbos, I had an idea for an Israel Meme. After passing it on to a few people, I tried to track down all the people who took it upon themselves to take part in it. I don't know if I got everybody--please email me if you did and I somehow missed you--but here are the posts that I tracked down who took part in the meme...and some others who just have great posts on Israel:


SerandEz writes about a hitch & a prayer

Soccer Dad writes cisterns and the uniqueness of Israel

Sweet Rose writes about a moving experience Friday night at the Kotel

Ezer K'Negdo writes about her experiences in Nachla'ot

The Hashmonean shares his experience Sabra Picking

Perspectives of a Nomad writes on learning about Har Gilboa

Ocean Guy writes about some of his experiences in Israel in his helicopter

My World: writes about a moment during Succos 2003

Search for Emes, who has never been to Israel, relates his imaginary trip to Israel

Erica's Blog writes about Shabbat at the Kotel

My Obiter Dicta: has a link to Israel's former ambassador to Great Britain and his account of how he heard about Israel's establishment- while waiting for Iraqi troops to attack

Random Thoughts writes about his experience as a 16-year old living in Israel for the summer

ConservaJew writes about her experience visting Israel as a 17-year old

SerandEz also links to some other great posts:

I'm Haaretz PhD has an excellent post which also has the recording of Israel taking over the Old City of Jerusalem, which is incredibly moving... and BeyondBT linked to a heart-wrenching story on Aish titled "The Rabbi & The Professor".

JoeSettler asks the tough question about why more people aren't moving to Israel en masse... a sharp, excellent post...

And Rafi G discusses the juxtaposition of Yom HaZikaron & Yom Ha'atzma'ut.

Technorati tag: Israel and Yom Haatzmaut and Israel Independence Day.