Seven New Ambassadors to Israel before Holocaust Remembrance Day

What a strange week this was!

Passover ended.

However, it seems like a long time ago with so much happening on the Jerusalem streets.

With Passover over, the flags are flying for the annual, emotional days of Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day.

Flags are for sale in stores, at street corners, and popping out of car windows – as usual.

This week, 7 new Ambassadors to Israel presented their credentials at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence, where these ceremonies are held. Such a large number at once was unusual.

I arrived as the new Ambassador from India was leaving.

The Ambassador from the Philippines wore a handmade, elegant dress, standing on the red carpet as her anthem was played and the flag from the Philippines was raised in her honor.

The Ambassador for the Dominican Republic was next to present his credentials.

I should go and check old photos, but I think President Herzog was standing on a new carpet.

Then the Ambassadors went into the official diplomatic room to exchange short remarks. Canada’s new Ambassador’s exchange was more casual, and Michal Herzog joined in.

The official handshake photo is an important step in the process, as with the Ambassador from Angola.

Keeping the red carpet clean is another important step.

The last Ambassador of the day was from the US, Michael Huckabee, with his wife Jane in the blue dress.

Look closely at her necklace, it’s a Star of David.

President Herzog’s staff lines up along the red carpet to greet each of the new Ambassadors as they arrive in the main hall. President Rivlin had his staff stand behind him. For the US ceremony, guests were on both sides of the room.

If you look closely at the back of Miriam Adelson’s dress, you will see the Hebrew writing down the back, “If I forget thee, Jerusalem .”

Of course, the media comes out more for the US Ambassadors.

The two men gave media statements after a short private meeting in the diplomatic room.

Of all the past ceremonies I attended, I do not remember an Israeli President hugging the new Ambassador after his credentials were put in his hand.

Ambassador Huckabee signs the official guest book as all the others had done.

However, Mrs. Huckabee’s small handbag got my attention while her husband wrote in the book–an Israeli flag is on one side and a US flag on the other.

And the yellow chair, not forgetting the hostages at Beit Hanasi.

If you counted and noticed there were six. The seventh was from Belarus, who was first in the morning before I arrived. At the King David Hotel, after the ceremonies, he was given a chance to speak.

That was how the week began on a high.

The house was clean. Things are back in order. And I got a ride to the King David in one of the official limos behind the four motorcycles leading the motorcade. Amazing how fast the trip was when you do not have to stop for red lights. So fast, I did not think to take a photo.

For Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, I went to the home of Rena Quint for Zikaron BaSalon.

Her story of survival during the Holocaust is documented in “A Daughter of Many Mothers” with the help of Barbara Sofer. Each survivor’s story is shocking and unique. Rena has told her hundreds of times at home and at Yad Vashem. She even had a U.S. president bend down to her. Read the book or find a video.

Sadly, no more Dry Bones, Yaakov Kirshen passed away. I so admired his wit and wisdom.

Sadly, the signs with fallen soldiers line too many Jerusalem streets. The number since October 7 rose to 849. Together we will win. But is there unity?

New signs are up: “Until we win.”

Notice the yellow ribbon on the special poster made for Steve Linde’s 65th birthday party. Steve was an editor at Jerusalem Post and Jerusalem Report, and is now Feature Editor at JNS.

Too many ceremonies and events for Yom HaZikaron to mention. It’s hard to decide where to go.

Then the next day, starting Wednesday night, is Yom Haatzmaut! Again too many, it’s hard to decide!

The Yoms, the roller coaster emotional time of year.

Am Yisrael Chai!

See Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Martyrs’ and Remembrance Day in Jerusalem

As soon as Passover is over, the holiday preparations are well under way for celebrating the Yoms Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Haatzmaut in Jerusalem.

The Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, is the site of multiple activities for Remembrance and Independence Days each year.

To start off a week of memorial events, Sunday morning was at Beit Hanasi.

Entering through the front gate past security, the state symbol of a menorah surrounded by olive branches is ready for celebrations of Israel at 75.

Beit Hanasi has hosted a Zikaron Basalon gathering since the Rivlins first invited the neighbors to share the more intimate setting to hear the testimony of a survivor.

The social initiative has taken off over the years with tens of thousands participating in private homes and other small group venues.

This year arriving early, I got to watch Kobi Oz and Yonatan Raizel rehearse their song on the program, “Suddenly Breathing.”

The main room at Beit Hanasi was arranged with the President and Michal Herzog with the main speaker and his wife at the front.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Beit-Hanasi-zikaronbasalon-044-2-1024x636.jpg

 Albert Chen (Hayon), a Holocaust survivor from Tunis, shared his personal story, accompanied by his wife Giselle.

The two famous Israeli musicians were a bonus not usually found at the Zikaron Basalon events.

Kobi Oz performed his song “We Didn’t Have Anything”, which he dedicated to his mother, as he began she motioned with her finger in the air in agreement.

It was a meaningful event, especially seeing the honor and respect Kobi Oz paid to his survivor mother. How to reach younger generations as survivors pass on is the question, and music is one answer being suggested and offered at this event.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Yom-Ha-flags-022-2-1024x523.jpg

The memorial flames are again on some public buildings.

The Israeli flags at Har Herzl Cemetery were already at half-mast as I went to Yad Vashem for the official state ceremony to open Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. Which was observed on April 17 – 18, 2023, with thousands of events throughout Israel.

The theme this year was Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust, marking 80 years since the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Each year I try to arrive early to get through the layers of security to get to the Warsaw Ghetto Plaza where the televised program is held.

New this year there was the opportunity to light a memorial candle in the Hall of Remembrance before the start of the 8:00 pm program.

The room was surrounded by small flames from those candles as people slowly filed thru the large hall.

Chairs were set near the memorial flame to be used in the morning ceremony at Yad Vashem as the morning siren sounded.

A long list of dignitaries and Israeli government officials attend both ceremonies, as they do each year.

Special attention was given before the night program started to the arrival of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former leader Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, here with MK Gila Gamliel.

Former President Reuven Rivlin greeted Pahlavi and commented on how much he looked like his father whom he met in 1978.

New IDF Chief of Staff Halevi also captured the photographers’ attention as he entered and proceeded to his seat.

Government ministers are seated in the front row, while the crowd goes back to the very rear of the plaza with guests, soldiers, and youth leaders.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Yad-Vashem-Yom-HaShoah-148-2-1024x624.jpg

The Israeli President and Prime Minister spoke as they do each year. But there seemed to be more empty chairs in the first section, even though the weather was much warmer than usual.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Yad-Vashem-Yom-HaShoah-102-2-1024x565.jpg

The honor guard stood at attention. Once a soldier fainted, fell, and was replaced during a televised video segment. Not this time.

A highlight of the evening is the lighting of the six memorial flames.

During the ceremony, Holocaust survivors are honored to light six torches. This year’s survivors were: first torch – Tova Gutstein; second torch – Ben-Zion Raisch; third torch – Judith Sohlberg;

fourth torch – Robert Bonfil; fifth torch – Efim Gimelshtein; sixth torch – Malka Rendel.

The stories of survival are always impressive. It is the only time that the entire audience of hundreds stops, listens,s and focuses on the screens. If you did not see them, I have attached the links above to Yad Vashem.

And at the end of the program, which ran smoothly this year, were the traditional prayers, ending the singing of HaTikvah.

El Maleh Rahamim was supposed to be by Efraim Mol, born in 1938, in a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. His long story of survival, from an orphanage to a French family, includes coming to Israel as a lone soldier. He worked in an Israeli defense industries factory and continued to serve in the IDF combat reserves, fighting in all of Israel’s wars until the First Lebanon War. After retiring, he became a sofer.

However, he was in the hospital, suffering a stroke after the rehearsal.

His son Yoel Mol and grandson were present and requested people that pray for him. However, Yad Vashem announced before Shabbat that Efraim Mol z”l had not recovered and passed away.

Yad Vashem was open during the day for free for visitors.

When Passover is over, every year, the Israeli flags go up

and out on the Jerusalem streets, as Jerusalem prepares for Yom HaZikaron followed by Yom Haatzmaut.

It’s that time of year, having to decide what to do first with so much happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Exciting to see so very many tourists here to help celebrate Israel at 75!

Jerusalem Streets are not Straight

Oh, what a week it was.

The Jerusalem streets are always bumpy with highs and lows, nothing seems to be straight or planned with logic. Maps and photos can not capture the topography of Jerusalem.

When the week and day start with the heaviest dust storm you have experienced, how nice it was to wander on the Jerusalem streets, just as the sun is beginning to set. The dust cloud lifting was a perfect opportunity to take a photo of the sun in the sky from a newly developed area in the Baka neighborhood.

I was on my way to a post-Passover Mimouna celebration (delayed for one night) with a gorgeous table laid out for the invited guests.

Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan Nahoum was a marvelous hostess! Her boundless energy greeted each person who arrived over several hours as if they were as important as the Mayor of Jerusalem who arrived late.

Flyover rehearsal for Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day was another favorite high of the week. New stunts are planned for this year!

The first time back to Har Herzl, after two long years for an event, I walked past the military cemetery on my way to Yad Vashem.

The official Israel State Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day took place on Wednesday, at 8:00 pm, in Warsaw Ghetto Square at Yad Vashem, on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, Israel. 

The testimony videos are readily available on the Yad Vashem website and are highly recommended, with subtitles in Hebrew and English.

I decided to share with you behind-the-live camera scenes.

Leaders of the several international interfaith groups in attendance found

the atmosphere is different from watching on a screen alone from home.

It seemed to me that more international media was on site this year, after corona severely limited attendance to the ceremony for the past two years.

The faces of the torch lighters standing proud, each with a horrific story of their survival but beaming with the hope of future generations, are inspiring and uplifting, as seen here – Zvi Gill

The numbers of survivors decrease but young leaders and IDF groups are seated in the back each year. It is not common to see children attending, but David brought his young son to Yad Vashem for the powerful event.

In the large crowd, it was not possible to find them afterward for a comment or to find long-time friends from overseas in attendance.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s son and family seated in the center of the second row were a focus of the media.

Former President Reuven Rivlin met with and posed with some of the GPO photographers he spent time with over the years.

Former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu made a much less dramatic and quieter entrance than in the past.

The IDF Honor Guard was back on stage standing at attention as usual.

The new Prime Minister and President of Israel made their entrance along with their wives and a few other Israeli officials with multiple cameras aimed close to their faces.

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau lit the flame as he has done in the past.

The crowd watched the TV live stream broadcast projected on a screen.

I was able to get close to Naftali Bennett speaking for the first time as Prime Minister at the Yad Vashem ceremony.

How sad that Shmuel Blumenfeld z”l passed away after doing his video, two weeks before the ceremony, but his son Aryeh was present and lit the torch in his honor and memory.

Each year the survivors are assisted by a close relative, often a grandchild serving in the Israel Defense Force. Their faces show expressions of defiance and survival against incredible odds to move forward and rebuild their lives.

Before leaving the plaza, President Isaac and Michal Herzog went to speak with the honor guard after the ceremony ended.

Benjamin Netanyahu did also before making a quiet exit from the plaza.

Ayelet Shaked stopped for a photo with an admirer on her way out.

And Walter Bingham, 98 years young, standing straight and strong, a survivor originally from Germany, still working as a professional journalist, was honored with a special seat.

From the Yad Vashem entrance lit at night,

I walked down Har Herzl past the military cemetery entrance again, where Israeli flags had been lowered to half-mast for Yom HaShoah.

Further, on the way home, I passed the blue and white lights and flags that were ready for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut to follow this week.

The crowd always stands at the end of the official opening Yom HaShoah commemoration in Jerusalem, Israel to sing HaTikvah – The Hope.

The Jerusalem streets are not straight, but there is always hope.