Yom Hazikaron - Israel's Remembrance Day and Yom Ha'Atzmaut - Israel's Independence Day

Yom Hazikaron

Yom Hazikaron, Israel's day of remembrance both for fallen soldiers and for victims of terror, begins this evening, April 29. It is a somber day.

Americans of a certain age will no doubt remember when Memorial Day in the US was like this, unlike today, when for many it's simply a day of sales at the mall, barbecues, and the day that swimming pools open.

In Israel, a small country - most often compared in size to New Jersey - wars are not fought somewhere "Over There" across an ocean. They are felt deeply by all civilians, and Israel's army, the IDF (Israel Defense Force), is truly a people's army. Virtually everyone serves for 2-3 years as young adults, and most continue for decades in the reserves. (One of the most divisive issues in Israeli society today is that not quite everyone serves: most Haredi [ultra-Orthodox in English] men do not, for complicated reasons of coalition politics.)

As a result, in a population that only this year hit the 10 million mark, the loss of well over 20,000 soldiers and over 4,000 victims of terror over the years is not abstract; it's personal. Every family has suffered a loss or personally knows someone who has.

The day is marked by official and private ceremonies at cemeteries. It begins with a sounding of the air raid siren, followed by another sounding the next morning. Like on Yom Hashoah, the entire country comes to a standstill during these two-minute sirens. Everyone stands at attention. Traffic stops, and drivers stand next to their cars. 

Yom Hazikaron is quite literally connected with Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha'Atzmaut, which begins the moment Yom Hazikaron ends. This is not only intentional, but purposeful: our existence and our freedom are due to the sacrifices made.

Yom Ha'Atzmaut

The sadness of Yom Hazikaron transforms into the joy of Yom Ha'Atzmaut. For some, this is jarring, and I understand them. But I believe that the deepest joys in life are those that fully recognize the pain of life as well. 

Israel of course has its antecedents in ancient Israel and Judea, so today's Israel isn't really a new country. It is instead the modern state in the Jewish homeland, and the return of Jews over the last 150 years to their homeland is not colonialism, as antisemites like to say, but a reclaiming of that homeland as the indigenous people of the land who were forcibly exiled.

What should the modern State of Israel be like? Well, we 10 million Israelis have perhaps close to that number of opinions. But the miracle of Israel's re-creation is one we take seriously. And so the joy and fun of Yom Ha'Atzmaut are equal in intensity to the sadness of Yom Hazikaron.

Happy 77th birthday, modern Israel!