metro

Honoring The Fallen

Well-attended ceremony recalls those who gave their lives for Israel.

Harry Kirsbaum
Contributing Writer

T

he language was mixed between
Hebrew and English, but the
mood was only solemn as a
crowd of 500 gathered April 14 for the
communitywide Yom HaZikaron ceremo-
ny to pay their respects to those who had
fallen defending the State of Israel.
Onstage at the Berman Center for the
Performing Arts in West Bloomfield,
Israelis and community leaders lit 13
memorial candles that signified the more
than 23,000 people who gave their lives
either in wars or as victims of terrorism.
Students from Akiva Hebrew Day School in
Southfield and the Frankel Jewish Academy
in West Bloomfield sang Hatikvah and Mah
Avarech, and read the names of the 43 fallen
Israeli soldiers from the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit's Partnership
2Gether region in the Central Galilee.
"We will never forget the brave soldiers
who gave their lives to ensure the exis-
tence of the Jewish state said Capt. Yoav
Schneider, 26, a company commander in
the Israeli Tank Corps, to the crowd.
Schneider was the only survivor of a
four-man crew when an anti-tank mis-
sile struck his tank during the Second
Lebanon War in 2006. "We were defend-
ing our country and, in fact, many of our
physical homes, including my own."
The gunner was a new immigrant from
Russia. The loader was brought up in Haifa,
and his mother had lost a sister in a terror-
ist attack in 1974. The driver was among
one of the founding members of a moshay.
Schneider was born on a kibbutz to parents
who came from South Africa and the U.S.
"My tank crew exemplified the best of
Israeli society" he said. "Together we had
a common goal to defeat the enemy and
defend our country"
Two of the crew died in the tank;
Schneider and another were evacuated
to a hospital in Haifa that was also under
attack. Schneider regained consciousness
after two days in intensive care and was
transferred to the plastic surgery depart-
ment to treat his burns. He was released
after two weeks.
As the only survivor, I understood that
there were two ways to react" he said. "I
could take the easy way and reverse the
memory of my crew or I could cope with
my injuries and my loss and move for-
ward. I chose the latter"
He met with the families of his tank
crew, and took the long painful route to
rehabilitation. He returned as a platoon

14 April 18 • 2013

Capt. Yoav Schneider shared his harrow-
ing story from the Second Lebanon War.

Yom HaZikaron participants lay roses at the base of the sculpture honoring Israel's
fallen soldiers.

commander six months later.
Other highlights of the ceremony were
the recitation of the Kaddish in unison by
the audience and moving closing remarks
by Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel in
West Bloomfield. Marcia Kersch of West
Bloomfield said the ceremony was "very
sensitive and beautiful:'
Sam Berman of West Bloomfield, who
fought in 1948 and 1956 in Israel, and
whose brother, Alter, died at age 19 in the

1948 war, said he attends every year.
Berman and his wife, Minnie, along
with David and Sara Waldshan, Barbara
and Irving Nusbaum and family, and the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
donated a memorial to Israel's fallen sol-
diers in honor of Alter Berman that rests
near the main entrance to the Jewish
Community Center. After the ceremony,
many in the audience stopped to lay roses at
the base of the memorial, the only one out-

This memorial near the JCC main

entrance honors Israel's fallen soldiers.

side of Israel to honor the fallen soldiers.
Schneider, who made his first trip out-
side of Israel to speak at this ceremony,
was surprised at the strong showing.
"I didn't know that ceremonies like this
are taking place outside of Israel and so
many people care about and feel so close
to Israel" he said.
"It's a great honor and great privilege for
us and, as a Jew, it makes me stronger to
see it:'

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