Hava Nedeber Writ: Yom Hazikaron In Israel

By NIRA LEV

Yom Hazikaron is Israel's Day
of Remembrance for charley
Tzahal, the chayalim who fell in the
line of duty since hakamat
ha'medinah in 1948, and those who
gave their lives during the long
ma'avak for out medina Yehudit.
The ma'avak for our z'chut to
return to eretz avoteinu started the
minute the first chalutzim set foot
on admat Eretz Yisrael, and has
not ended yet. Ze'ev Jabotinsky's
words that have become a known
shir, keep ringing in our hearts:
"Me'Dan ve'ad Be'er Sheva,
Me'gilead lay'yam ein aft sha'al
admateynu she'lo kupar be'dam."
("From Dan to Be'er Sheva, from
Gilead to the sea, there is not any
part of our land that has not been
redeemed/paid for with blood").
Yom Hazikaron is a yom evel
le'umi, when all the Yisraelim pay
tribute to the chayalim who gave

Poems and special
t 'feelot are recited by
the talmidim and all
omdim dom when the
mid-morning tz'feera is
sounded.

their chayim for our medinah. The
feeling of evel is shared by all
because almost everyone lost
someone dear in a milchama or
some other pe'ulah tz'va'it. All
Israelis — yeladim or mevugarim
— deeply identify with the
mishpachot shakulot and the
awareness of the high price Israel is
still paying for its z'chut to exist is
shared by all.
Erev Yom Hazikaron starts with
a one minute tz'feera and Hadlakat
Ner Hazikaron by n'see
ha'medinah at Ha'Kotel
Ha'ma'aravi. On the following
boker, another tz'feera is sounded
and kol ha'medinah stops all
activity and observes a two minute
silence in memory of our fallen
chayalim.
All d'galim are at half mast,
and the deep etzev and evel are
felt everywhere: all mis'adot and
batey-kol'noah are closed; all
mekomot ha'bidur are closed and
both radio and television broadcast
only programs about charley-
Tzahal, about important • kravot and
different ma'asey g'vura performed
by the noflim. The Israeli radio airs
shirim about fallen chayalim and
about Israel's many milchamot.
These shirim, about real people
and real events create an avira of
etzev and solemnity.
In every beit-sefer all over the

country, a special tekes is
conducted to commemorate the
noflim. Poems and special t'feelot
are recited by the talmidim and all
omdim dom when the mid-morning
tz'feera is sounded. Anashim
rabim join the mishpachot
shakulot in the battey-kvarot
tzva'ee'yim all over the country to
place zerey-pra'chim on the kvarim
and to participate in tik'say-
hazikaron at the cemeteries. All of
Israel is like one, big close-knit
mishpacha on this day.

Meelon (Dictionary)

charley Tzahal ...The fallen soldiers
of the I.D.F.
soldiers
chayalim
The
hakamat ha'medina
establishment of the State
struggle
ma'avak
a Jewish State
medina Yehudit
a privilege, a right
z'chut
the land
eretz avoteinu
of our fathers
pioneers
chalutzim
land, soil
adama
The soil of
admat eretz Yisrael
the land of Israel
song
shir
a national day
yom evel le'umi
of mourning
Israelis
Yisraelim

Israelis
mourning
war
military action
children
adults
bereaved
families
a siren
tz'feera
The
Hadlakat Ner Hazikaron
Lighting of the Memorial Candle
. The President
n'see ha'medinah
of the State
The
Ha'Kotel Ha'ma'aravi
Western Wall
boker morning
kol ha'medinah ..The whole country
flags
d'galim
sadness
etzev
restaurants
mis'adot
cinemas
batey-kol'noah
places of
mekomot ha'bidur
entertainment
battles
kravot
acts/deeds of
ma'asey-g'vura
bravery/courage
the fallen (soldiers)
noflim
songs
shirim
an atmosphere
avira
school
beit-sefer
a
ceremony
tekes
prayers
t'feelot
students
talmidim
(they) stand
omdim dom
to attention

Yisraelim
evel
milchama
pe'ula tz'va'it
yeladim
mevugarim
mishpachot shakulot

many people
anashim rabim
battey-kvarot tzva'ee'yim ....military
cemeteries
zerey-prachim ...wreaths of flowers
graves
kvarim
The Memorial
tik'say-hazikaron
Ceremonies

Nira Lev is director of Hebrew
Learning Center, Agency for Jewish
Education: Director of Hebrew
Department, Community Jewish
High School; Associate Professor,
Midrasha College of Jewish Studies.

Impressions
Of Israel

"On the first day of Rosh
Hashanah in 1990, my father, my
brother and I walked to the
Kotel. Many people were there.
Approximately 10 Minyanim were
davening all at different paces
but they were all timed to say
Shemona Esray at the same
time. All of the sudden there
was a complete silence. All you
could hear were the roosters
crowing in the background. To
me this was really beautiful."
— Deena Kresch .
Community Jewish High School

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