Yom Hazikron, Memorial Day, by Baila Litwak

Military base 

            Every year Israel celebrates those who have fallen protecting the country since her independence in 1948 until today. On Yom Hazikron, Memorial Day, we remember the soldiers who died in the field, those who we’re in service but passed away from non-military causes, and those killed by terrorism. This year I spent the night of Yom Hazikaron at an air force base. Like so many families in Israel, my boyfriend’s family has lost someone in the line of duty and we went to his base to pay our respects. Every base where someone was killed takes responsibility to commemorate that person every year thereafter and has a Yom Hazikaron ceremony for those fallen heroes. At the air force base, every family of a soldier killed is assigned a current air force soldier to escort them. First stop was the memorial building where the names and ranks of every soldier who died from the base is displayed on the wall and there were pictures and biographies of every one of them that the visitors could read. Then was a dinner at the general’s club, and finally the ceremony. The ceremony had speeches, and songs, and every person’s name who died from the base was read. The whole night was very well done and clearly showed how important the base feels it is to dutifully honor their men and women who have died.

            On the day of Yom Hazikaron itself people go to the military bases to visit their fallen family members. On the way to the cemetery youth groups hand out flowers that people can bring to the graves, and volunteering soldiers hand out bottles of water. At each military grave in the country there is a soldier who is assigned to stand there from early in the morning until the memorial ceremonies are over. Each soldier who has been killed has a soldier from his/her same unit standing by his/her side. Just like the base takes responsibility for those who have died from their base, the units never forget their soldiers and they make sure to have someone, every year on Yom Hazikaron, honoring those who gave their lives for us and the country.

            The beauty of Yom Hazikaron is that every soldier is remembered. Every one of those soldiers were fighting for the same things, safety and peace, and every one of them is remembered for that. At both the ceremonies I attended the speeches spoke about the diversity of the men and women who fight for Israel and how even with that diversity all Israelis share the same past, fighting for our right to exist in safety, and have the same hope for the future, peace.

            The night that Yom Hazikaron ends Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day, begins.  Yom Hazikaron is one of the saddest days, along with Yom Hashoa, and Yom Haatzmaut is the happiest. The juxtaposition of those two days shows the reality in which we live in Israel, fighting to protect ourselves while celebrating our home and all the incredible things it has to offer. That night there are concerts throughout the country to help people transition from sadness to fun. The next day the country gathers with friends and family and barbecues or hikes. I went to a BBQ in Jerusalem and as I entered the city I saw the whole city leaving to be outdoors enjoying the beautiful land.

            The month leading up to Yom Haatzmaut people starting hanging flags from their homes, car windows, and anywhere else they can. On Yom Haatamaut nearly everyone is wearing blue and white. It is truly moving to see how proud people are to live here and how happy that opportunity makes them.  - blogger of the month, Baila Litwak

Yom Hashoa:Holocaust Remembrance Day, by Baila Litwak

יזכור = remember

I arrived in Beersheba with 36 classmates in mid July and at this point have been living here for nearly 10 months. Yesterday I heard my first siren that was not a drill. Yesterday was Yom Hashoa, Holocaust remembrance day.

According to Jewish law holidays begin at sunset and last until sunset the following day. I realized Yom Hashoa had began when I was studying in my apartment, listening to the radio, and it suddenly dawned on me that they were no longer playing happy, upbeat music. On Yom Hashoa every radio station plays slow, somber music, every TV channels broadcasts either documentaries or discussions relating to the Holocaust. As I was studying for my pathology final I felt too tired to make dinner and too busy to go out to eat so I decided to order pizza. When I went to the dominos website I found that they were closed for Yom Hashoa.

“Dear customers, On the eve of Yom Hashoa Dominos will be closed...”

On Yom Hashoa there are ceremonies throughout the country held at schools, public squares, military bases, etc. I, along with a number of my fellow classmates, attended the Yom Hashoa ceremony at BGU. It was outside in the 90+ degree weather under the scorching sun, yet hundreds of students were there to remember the millions who were “exterminated” during the Holocaust. There were nearly as many students in attendance as there were last month for Purim, which is one of the most fun parties on campus all year. At the ceremony there were speeches, a modern dance piece, a choir that sang two beautiful songs, and six people from the community who told stories of their family members who were killed and those who survived the Holocaust. Each of the six people who shared their family’s story lit a candle in commemoration.

At 10:00 in the morning of Yom Hashoa there is a siren that blares throughout the country, loud enough so that people can hear it where ever they might find themselves at that moment. The siren lasts for two minutes and for those two minutes everything stops.  Every person at every ceremony stands in silence. People stop driving in the middle of the highway, get out of their cars, and bow their head in honor of their brothers and sisters who were killed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeozUSWdoQA

Israel was established to be a place of refuge for Jews being persecuted across the world and a state where Jews could feel independent and safe. Today Israel is still such a place and not only for the Jews. Every year On Yom Hashoa Israel remembers those who were not safe where they lived and were forced to endure persecution, murder, and true hatred. - blogger of the month, Baila Litwak