Tonight [Tuesday] and tomorrow is Yom HaZikaron.
23,645 Israeli soldiers have fallen.
Yom Hazikaron was declared by the Israeli Knesset in 1963 and enacted into law, as the national Remembrance Day, to be observed in Israel on the 4th of Iyar [April], for all Israeli military personnel who served our country with pride and honour and lost their lives in the establishment of the State of Israel and for those who have been killed while on active duty in Israel’s armed forces. IDF
We are also remembering the Victims of Arab Terrorism.
Yom Hazikaron begins at sundown when a siren is sounded across the country for one minute. The official state ceremony will then take place at the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem. The following day, a siren sounds for two minutes, at 11.00am.
In our house, after the siren, we light a yartzeit candle in honour of those who paid the ultimate price so that we can live in our Jewish homeland. We will be forever grateful to them.
Yom Hazikaron ends Wednesday evening with a state ceremony and Yom Ha’atzmaut begins. This year, we are celebrating our 70th year of independence.
A couple of years ago I wrote a poem for our chayalim and chayalot.
Thank-you!
Thank-you dear chayalim and chayalot
of the Israel Defence Force.
Thank-you for your service
in defending our nation.
Thank-you dear Reservist
for answering the call to serve
so that our country will not fall.
Many have sacrificed their lives
So that we can live in our homeland.
Baruch Dayan Emet
May your name be honored.
To those who are serving
all over our precious land
our prayers are with you.
May The Hand of the One Above
watch over you day and night
and bring you home safely
into the arms of your families.
That’s all for now.
Miriam
