A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance – Reflecting on Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut

By Julia Loeb, WLCJ International President

In the United States, we observe Memorial Day as the start of the summer season. Some place wreaths at gravesites, but many just spend the day at picnics or barbecues or shopping the many holiday sales. Most give little thought to the connection to the losses memorialized on this day and the celebration of the Country’s independence more than a month later on July 4th. In Canada too, these two occasions are marked at separate times during the year with Canada Day in July and Remembrance Day in November. 

In Israel, Memorial Day is called Yom HaZikaron. The day begins with the sound of sirens proclaiming two minutes of silence. All activity stops. Cars stop wherever they are, and drivers get out to stand at attention. Memorial ceremonies are held throughout the country, restaurants and cafes are closed and somber songs are played on the radio stations.

Yom Hazikaron was observed this past Monday. Because so many Israelis know someone that died in defense of the Country or as a result of a terrorist attack, even in an ordinary year, Yom Hazikaron is a day of personal and collective grief and a day to remember those who gave their lives for the country’s independence and its continued existence. With this year’s observance—marked in the shadow of the Hamas attacks of October 7 when 1,200 Israelis were killed, and the deaths of 272 soldiers since the launch of the IDF ground campaign in the Gaza Strip—the sense of loss is deeper and more prominent.

Yom HaZikaron is always commemorated the day before the celebration of Israel’s Independence, Yom Ha’atzmaut. That close proximity draws a palpable connection between the memory of soldiers who have fallen in the defense of the State of Israel and the existence and safety of the Country.

In an ordinary year, the mood shifts dramatically with the onset of Yom Ha’atzmaut, celebrating the establishment of the State of Israel. The cycle of sorrow and joy in our lifecycle events and in our daily lives is represented and recalled every year with these two holidays. This year, the ongoing war, with threats from all sides and kidnapped victims still in brutal captivity, is foremost in the minds of Israelis and Jews in the diaspora, yet a strong spirit and determination to celebrate the sovereignty and achievements of the nation persists. The festivities, while perhaps more subdued, continued to highlight the national pride and collective resilience of the Israeli people.

This week’s Torah portion, Emor, describes Moadei Adonai, God’s sacred time. The Parashah discusses the prescribed days–Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. These times are declared Kadosh, holy, and designated as days to remember our relationship with God, and our history as a Jewish nation.  

The literal meaning of Kadosh is something that is set aside, designated as different. While not among the Jewish holidays designated in Emor, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut feel like they belong in that category. Especially this year as Israel is fighting for its freedom, indeed, its right to exist in peace and security, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut are very powerful Jewish holidays, imbued with sacredness and great meaning.

It can’t be easy for Israelis to switch from the seriousness of one day to the festivities of the next, but placing these two holidays on the calendar, one after another, is a concrete reminder of the link between the sacrifice of those who fought and died for the country and the continued existence of a vibrant and dynamic modern Jewish State. We continue to pray for that existence and for peace to come speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom and Am Yisrael Chai.

Julia Loeb
WLCJ International President
jloeb@wlcj.org