Remembrance Day

Yom HaZikaron is the hardest, most painful day of the year for us.

To quote The Times of Israel --

"Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism formally began at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday as sirens wailed throughout the country, signalling a solemn minute of silence at the start of an annual remembrance marked with candle lightnings, memorial services and melancholy songs.
This year’s memorials commemorate 23,447 men and women who have died in uniform or as victims of terror attacks. The past year saw 68 Israeli soldiers and police die in the line of duty, as well as 32 civilians killed in terror attacks.
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The Defense Ministry’s Families and Commemoration Department expects some 1.5 million visitors at the nation’s 52 military cemeteries and hundreds of smaller military sections in civilian cemeteries.

Wednesday morning’s commemorations begin at 11:00 a.m. with a two-minute memorial siren that will bring the country to a standstill and launch the official state ceremony at the Mount Herzl national military cemetery, as well as military cemeteries nationwide."

--Read more in the article,  With silence and song, Israelis commemorate 23,447 fallen

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(Linking to ABC Wednesday.)

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Yom HaZikaron

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By the Hebrew reckoning, a day begins at night.
Last night all Israel entered into the saddest day of the year, Remembrance Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Enemy Actions.
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In between the national memorial ceremonies at the Western Wall, Mt. Herzl, the Knesset, and Ammunition Hill, Israel TV has been showing filmed stories of heroism, of battles, of terrorist actions, and of families struggling with bereavement.
They are riveting; I have to watch. They make up our history.
But oh so many times in the last 21 hours have I dried my tears or cried "Oh God" or sighed a big Jewish sigh of "Oi . . . ."
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At sunset tonight we will make the sudden transition into the happiness of Independence Day, all the time remembering that our independent state did not--and does not--come easy.
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That's My World and it is a great privilege to live here.
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More posts about Memorial Day in Jerusalem can be found here.
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Shalom, peace to you, my country!
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The pyramids of the soul's eternal life

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Did you know there are pyramids in Jerusalem?!

In antiquity, pyramids were the symbol of the soul and eternal life.

This sculpture by Bezalel Schatz is planted in a channel (that once had water) representing the Nile.

Our Society for the Protection of Nature guide yesterday said that no one seems to know what it is supposed to symbolize. Strange. When she said Nile I immediately thought bullrushes. No?

Enter into the valley.

The entrance has a lone olive tree of peace and the name Yad LaBanim.

Inside one pyramid we find the reason for it all--the names of the Jerusalemites who fell defending their city and country.

The place is Beit Yad LaBanim, the memorial house for the sons.

Every city has a Yad LaBanim for their fallen, full of photos and archives and exhibits.
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Sit still a while on the bench and ponder their sacrifice.

Let us think of their families today, on Israel's Memorial Day for the defenders and for the victims of terror.

On this day especially, society becomes one big grieving “family,” known in Hebrew as mishpachat hashchol.

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At 7:45 tonight the remembrance day will end and we make the sudden transition to the joy of Israel's 62nd Independence Day.

You can't have one without the other.

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Such is my world for That's MyWorld Tuesday.

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United in remembering

With a one-minute siren at 8:00 pm, Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and terror victims began tonight. The first ceremony was at the Western Wall.

Flowers and a small flag with black ribbon were placed on the graves of all the fallen soldiers by the Defense Ministry. Tomorrow there will be many ceremonies at the many military cemeteries.

It is the saddest of days, when we all feel a need to come together, to support one another in the loss of our 22,684 dead.
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The Day of Remembrance

The siren sounded at 8:00 p.m. In the moment of heavy silence we began another Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Enemy Actions.
Since 1860, when the first Jews began establishing neighborhoods outside the Jerusalem city walls, 22,570 men and women have been killed in defense of the Land of Israel.
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Death, loss, bereavement--this all too often is our world.
Today and every day we thank and remember those who died that our country may live.
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That's My World Tuesday bloggers can be visited here.

Israel remembers

Today was Remembrance Day. Israelis come together in a collective remembering of all our "one big family" members whose lives were lost in terrorist actions and in Israel's wars. Not only Jews; also Bedouin, Druze, Circassian, Muslim, and Christian citizens and soldiers who were killed.

The newspaper says "22,437 soldiers have been killed since 1860, when the first settlers moved outside Jerusalem's walls. Of these, 65 were killed since last Memorial Day. Since the state's establishment, 1,634 civilians have been killed in terror attacks. Of these, 24 people were killed since last Memorial Day. " This monument is on Har HaZikaron, the Mount of Remembrance, which includes the military cemetery, Mt. Herzl, and Yad Vashem. Each plaque shows names of terror victims. And there are THIS many:
Today we pay tribute to those who sacrificed their life for our country. We hug the bereaved families in our heart. We hope for a time without such mourning.
As the Psalmist says, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.