 |
| 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
No comments:
Post a Comment