Today is Yom Hazikaron (Yom Hazikaron l’Chalalei Ma’arachot Yisrael ul’Nifgaei Peulot Ha’eivah- literally, “Day of Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism”). This is Israel’s Memorial Day.
Yom Hazikaron is the national Remembrance Day observed in Israel for those who fell since 1860 when Jews were first allowed to live in Palestine outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls. National memorial services are held in the presence of Israel’s top leadership and military personnel. The day opens with a siren the preceding evening at 20:00 (8:00 pm), given that in the Hebrew calendar system, a day begins at sunset. The siren is heard all over the country and lasts for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything (including driving, which stops highways) and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect. Many religious Jews say prayers for the souls of the fallen soldiers at this time. The official ceremony to mark the opening of the day takes place at the Western Wall, and the flag of Israel is lowered to half staff.
A two-minute siren is sounded at 11:00 the following morning, which marks the opening of the official memorial ceremonies and private remembrance gatherings at each cemetery where soldiers are buried. Many Israelis visit the resting places of loved ones throughout the day. The day officially draws to a close between 19:00 and 20:00 (7–8 p.m.) with the official ceremony of Israel’s Independence Day at the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl when the flag of Israel is returned to full staff.
One of the government-owned television stations screens the names of all the fallen in chronological order (rank, name, Hebrew date deceased and secular date) over the course of the day. Names appear for about three seconds each.
It is that last bit I would like you to think about. As of April, 14 2015, Israel had lost some 23,320 of its servicemen and women, 116 of them in the last year alone – 67 of those soldiers killed during Operation Protective Edge. Some 35 wounded veterans passed away this year as a result of their injuries and were thus also recognized as fallen soldiers. To put that number in perspective, it is the equivalent of almost 1 million lost Americans.
I just point it out because I will be traveling to Israel in a few weeks and I always try to keep that in the back of my mind when I am working there. It is all tragic. It is all the backdrop with which they live, every day. It helps me understand their perspective a lot better.