obituaries Yom HaZikaron from page 65 sion stations play programs about Israel's wars and show programing that reflects the somber mood of the day. As on Yom HaShoah (Remembrance of the Holocaust), air raid sirens are sounded twice during Yom HaZikaron. With the first siren sounded in the morning, just before the nation's public ceremony, the entire country comes to a complete stand- still. Busy traffic grinds to a halt; people stop in mid-sentence; drivers park their cars and stand at attention on the side of the road as the entire country observes two minutes of silence. At nightfall, immediately prior to the public recitation of prayers in military cemeteries, the sirens again sound. In Jerusalem, 12 torches are lit to signify that Memorial Day officially has ended and Independence Day is about to begin. First Impressions What is it like to be in Israel on a glorious spring day during the national holidays of Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut? Jewish Detroiters who have been there offer their thoughts. "I'll never forget the Yom HaZikaron we experienced together as a delegation of nearly 80 young Detroiters on a national United Jewish Communities mission of 3,500 participants. Our group was at Mount Herzl in the evening, along with hundreds of Israelis, when we heard that Dymshitz and Kutnetsov (two famous heroes in the Refusenik movement who had been sentenced to death) just arrived in Israel and were coming to Mount Herzl! The news electrified us. "One of our Detroit leaders had been wearing a bracelet in solidarity with the Refuseniks for years. She couldn't contain herself and managed to make her way through the crowd, get through the secu- rity and actually hand the bracelet to them! An unforgettable moment for all of us." — Sally Krugel, director Federation's Miracle Mission IV "We have our Memorial Day, but Israel takes Yom HaZikaron to a whole different level. What is absolutely stunning for me — particularly the first time I experienced it on a UJC Mission in 1976 — is to see the entire country simultaneously stop and come to attention. "I was just a neophyte on a bus, part of the Young Leaders Delegation from Detroit (on the same mission with Richard and Sally Krugel), when suddenly we stopped, got out and stood on the side of the road as the sirens sounded. "Really, it's an audio and visceral experi- Marta Rosenthal, third from left, with a Miracle Mission IV group in Israel ence. As you're standing in place listening to the one siren closest to you, you hear other sirens go off one by one in the dis- tance — like a chain reaction. The effect is an awesome chorus of sound that gives you the overwhelming impression that the entire country is standing in unison. There's nothing like it in the world. "And I'll never forget our visit to Mount Herzl — Israel's Military Cemetery — later that evening. You know, in Israel, there's no differentiation between soldiers' graves by rank. Every soldier is equal. That, in itself, is amazing and unique to Israel. But to be in that cemetery at sundown and to join thousands of Israelis breaking out from sorrow to joy and excitement is an unfor- gettable experience." — Larry Jackier, past Federation president, co-chair Miracle Mission II and leader of multiple missions to Israel "I was in our Partnerhsip2Gether region with dear friends from Migdal HaEmek. They took me to the community's cer- emony for Yom HaZikaron. So sad and emotional for all. And, that same night, I'll never forget — we were in the streets dancing and watching fireworks. Amazing! From tears to absolute joy!" — Marta Rosenthal, past chair of Federation's Israel and Overseas Committee and P2G Michigan Steering Committee A Day To Remember As We Stand Together Let us join together to honor those who have fallen so that Israel may continue to stand at Yom HaZikaron, Israel's National Memorial Day, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield. There is no charge for this com- munity-wide commemoration. For details, contact Alicia at (248) 642- 5617 or Felhandler@jfmd.org . A CONNECTED COMMUNITY RESOURCE Thank you for making irakaufman.com a valuable resource to connect family, faith and community in Metro Detroit. In 2013, the site received more than 1.2 million clicks from members of the community receiving funeral information and loved ones around the world watching funerals online. THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Bringing Together Family, Faith & Community HOME FUNERALS OPTIONS PREPLANNING YAHRZEIT TRADITION SLOG ABOUT US CORM, I C THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL importing Families for Four Generations Together with the families we serve, we're committed to making information accessible to you, without any passwords and the necessity to contact the family during a difficult time. HE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL has been pad f Metro Dorm's Jewish community since 941 We bring a personal connection to eral arrangements pre-planning er-care and explaining de. to kids Explainin With 30+ Ye . David Answers You Ask Oueshons See the Emm Here THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Bringing Family Faith & Community rI' O 18325 W. 9 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48075 • 248.569.0020 • IraKaufman.com 1888870 66 May 1 • 2014 JN Obituaries