From Holocaust to rebirth

The roaring sound of air force jets in the skies, is a very normal background noise for every Israeli. This week there are more jets in the skies. They are practicing their traditional grand aerial show towards the 73rd Day of Independence we are about to celebrate this coming Thursday.

This week is a sacred week for the Israelis. Not in the religious way, but in the national aspect. Few days ago, at 10 o’clock in the morning, sirens wailed across Israel and everything stopped. People stood up in silence and reverence to remember and honor the 6 million who perished in the Holocaust.

The skies are heavy this week in Israel. Breathing is hard. This last year left most of us with some unshielded nerves, a new dimension of vulnerability. We all know someone who died from Covid, and nothing seems certain anymore.

In a few days we will hear the siren again. It will be on Wednesday, the Day of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers. Again, we will stand up with tears in our eyes and pay tribute to 23,928 fallen soldiers who died in the wars of Israel. Young souls, broken families. Our sons and daughters.

The folloiwng video clip "I pledge", is for all these soldiers who pledge to be loyal to the state of Israel and defend it with all their might. The ceremony traditionaly takes place at the Western Wall in jerusalem, where together with the personal weapon, the soldiers receive the Bible book. The weapon and the Bible go together with every soldier. They see themselves as the followers of Joshua and King David.

Watch the video with speakers on.

EACH OF US HAS A NAME is a poem written by Zelda and became almost a symbol for our national memorial days.

“Each of us has a name, given by God and given by our parents.

Each of us has a name given by our stature and our smile and given by what we wear.

Each of us has a name given by the mountains and given by our walls.

Each of us has a name given by the stars and given by our neighbors.

Each of us has a name given by our sins and given by our longing.

Each of us has a name given by our enemies and given by our love.

Each of us has a name given by our celebrations and given by our work.

Each of us has a name given by the seasons and given by our blindness.

Each of us has a name given by the sea and given by our death.”

These two days, The Holocaust Day and the Day of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers, are calendry national days. All amusements institutes are closed, no funny shows or music on radio and T.V. No commercials. In the schools there are ceremonies and special classes. National ceremonies also take place at the Western Wall and Yad Vashem (the national Holocaust Institute) in Jerusalem.

Then, in a very swift move, we end the Day of Remembrance with fireworks all over the skies of Israel, marking the beginning of the Day of Independence. The main national ceremony at this evening takes place on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem. Around the grave of the visioner of a Jewish state, Benjamin Theodor Herzl who never lived to see his vision come true. 12 chosen outstanding Israeli citizens who marked our lives in the past year, light 12 torches. The number of the 12 tribes of Israel.

People go out to the streets to party and cover every green spot in the parks for picnics and barbeque the next day. The blue and white Israel flag is out on homes fronts, street poles and cars.

One week, three very emotional days bound together to proclaim the Israeli existence.

From grief to celebration, from defeat to victory, from death to rebirth.

This is the Jewish-Israeli way of life.

"Triumph of the Return" - On September 4, 2003, in a large ceremony, the Israeli Air Force flew three f-15 jets over the Auschwitz concentration camp in a show of the Jewish people's continued strength and triumph over past adversities. This visit was a testament to the world that the saying "never again" is not just a slogan. Many of the participants were the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

“ The Lord gives strength to his people;

The Lord blesses his people with peace.”

(Psalms 29,11)