On Monday at sundown, Israel will come to a standstill for one minute as sirens sound across the country marking the beginning of Yom HaZikaron; Israel’s Memorial Day. That evening, the official State Ceremony to mark the start of Yom Hazikaron takes place at the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem and the Israeli flag is lowered to half-mast, a special “Yizkor” (Memorial) prayer is recited, and a memorial candle is lit.
In several respects, Israel’s Memorial Day is unique. How many of these things did you know about Yom Hazikaron?
- THE FULL NAME OF THE DAY
The full name of the day is Yom HaZikaron LeHalelei Ma’arkhot Yisrael ul’Nifge’ei Pe’ulot HaEivah (יוֹם הזִּכָּרוֹן לְחַלְלֵי מַעַרְכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְנִפְגְעֵי פְּעֻלּוֹת הָאֵיבָה) ’Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism’.
In the first few years of Israel’s existence, fallen soldiers were remembered on Israel’s Independence Day. In 1951, the day preceding Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), was dedicated to memorializing Israel’s fallen soldiers and this was officially enacted into law in 1963.
- TWO SIRENS: ISRAEL COMES TO A STOP
At 8:00 PM on Monday evening, sirens will be heard all over the country and last for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything, including driving on highways, in order to stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect.
By law, all places of entertainment are closed on the eve of Yom HaZikaron. Regular television programs cease for the day, and the names and ranks of every soldier who died for Israel are displayed in a 24-hour television broadcast.
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.
The day officially draws to a close at sundown (between 7–8 PM) in a ceremony at the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, marking the start of Israel’s Independence Day, when the flag of Israel is returned to full staff.
- YOM HAZIKARON AND THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CONNECTION
In other countries, the day to remember fallen soldiers and Independence Day occur on two separate days of the year. In Israel, it was decided in accordance with the law that Independence Day needs to begin the moment that Memorial Day ends. This is because the State of Israel wouldn’t be able to celebrate its existence if it weren’t for those who gave their lives for it. We wouldn’t be able to have one of those days without the other one. We honor the memory of the fallen and everything they fought for, so that today, we can celebrate our independence.
- WHEN IS IT
While the Hebrew date of Yom Hazikaron is officially the 4th of Iyar, this frequently does not happen. To avoid the possibility of Sabbath desecration should either Yom HaZikaron or Independence Day take place on Saturday night, both are observed one or two days earlier (the 3rd and 4th, or the 2nd and 3rd, of Iyar) when the 5th of Iyar falls on a Friday or Saturday. Likewise, when Yom HaZikaron falls on Saturday night/Sunday day, both observances are rescheduled to one day later (the 5th and 6th of Iyar). This means that Yom HaZikaron is only actually observed on the 4th of Iyar if that date is a Tuesday, as it falls this year.
- WHO AND HOW MANY?
According to government figures, 24,213 people have died during military service to the country since 1860. In addition, 4,255 civilians have been murdered in hostilities from 1851 until today. Between 1948 and 1997, 20,093 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat, 75,000 Israelis were wounded, and nearly 100,000 Israelis were considered disabled army veterans.
This year, 59 soldiers who were killed during active service were added to the list, according to figures released by the Defense Ministry on Friday. In addition, 86 disabled veterans died due to complications from injuries sustained during their service.
This includes military personnel killed in Israel’s eight major wars, including 9,745 soldiers and security forces personnel killed in miscellaneous engagements and terrorist attacks.
Some 171 Israeli soldiers have been killed in training exercises and non-combat roles since 1977. Memorial Day also commemorates deceased members of the Israel Police, the Mossad and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
- NOT JUST SOLDIERS
According to a government resolution passed on February 5, 1997, Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers is also Memorial Day for Victims of Hostile Acts. The government also decided to build a central memorial site on Mount Herzl who were killed in hostile acts. Accordingly, the state service in memory of victims of hostile acts is held on Memorial Day at 1:00 PM at the central memorial in their honor.
Since the last Memorial Day, 31 civilians have been killed in hostilities, including two disabled people who were injured several years ago and were recognized by the state as victims of hostilities.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the number of victims of hostilities stands at 3,236 murdered people, of which 740 were children and teenagers up to the age of 18, as well as 120 Israelis who were murdered abroad and 135 foreign citizens murdered in terrorist attacks. The terrorist attacks have left 3,420 orphans, of whom 118 lost both parents, 800 widows, 851 bereaved parents, and 250 families who suffered multiple losses of more than one person per family.
- A PERSONAL REMEMBRANCE
Unlike in many other countries, Israel’s wars have taken place at home, and being a small country, almost everybody knows somebody who died in the country’s wars making Yom Hazikaron an incredibly personal time of remembrance. Almost every high school in Israel has a “memorial corner” with photos of the school graduates who fell in battle or while on military duty.
- WOMEN
Each year on Yom HaZikaron, the Mourner’s Prayer is recited across the country. The President and Prime Minister recite it at state ceremonies, individual families recite it at gravesides, and a family member of a fallen soldier or terror victim will also publicly recite this prayer to a large and televised audience. In 2015, Racheli Frenkel made history by being the first woman to publicly recite this prayer in the state service after her son was amongst the three boys kidnapped and murdered at the start of Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
- PART OF A SERIES
Yom Hazikaron is part of a series of holidays. Passover marks the day when God took the Jews out of Egypt, turning the Jewish people into a nation and leading us toward the Promised Land. As Passover ends, Jews begin counting the 49 days (seven full weeks) of the Omer period between Passover and Shavuot. Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) falls on the 13th day of the Omer, commemorating one of the darkest periods in Jewish history. In a real sense, this corresponds to the period in which the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt. Remarkably, directly following the Holocaust, the 2,000-year exile ended and the modern Jewish state was declared. However, this came at a heavy price, commemorated one week later on Yom Hazikaron. The series of days culminates the following day on Yom Haatzmaut; Israel’s Independence Day, the modern-day equivalent of the freedom represented by Passover.
