Yom HaZikaron – Page 5 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

From Yom Hashoah to Yom Haatzmaut

May 11, 2016rjstreets

This time of year is always busy,

starting with Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day,

until after Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

Six symbolic torches were lit at Yad Vashem on Yom Hashoah

for the six million Jews murdered in World War II.

Another symbol of mourning is

the large Israeli flag on top of the Knesset

flown at half-mast.

Small Israeli flags can be found on cars

and huge ones unfurled down buildings.

This week even the skies were blue and white,

from the road leading out of the Judean Hills,

and all the way up over the Kinerret.

There were hundreds of ceremonies

for Yom Hazikaron,

remembering the fallen soldiers and victims of terror,

all 23,447 who lost their lives.

One new and special program this year

was held at Givat HaTachmoshet,

Ammunition Hill.

As the sun set and the memorial siren sounded,

a capacity crowd was on hand

to remember lone soldiers who fell,

it was sponsored by

The Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin.

An honor guard watched as the Israeli flag was lowered

and a memorial flame was lit.

Young people supporting and giving comfort to each other,

wore these Yizkor strips on their hearts,

remembering those who lost their lives.

From nightfall and during the entire day,

thousands visited to the military cemeteries,

from Har Herzl and gravesides throughout Israel.

But as soon as Yom Hazikaron ends,

Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day begins,

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,

is getting ready for a big day of celebrations.

The gardens in front and back

are ready for the invited guests.

The waiting room inside has had a makeover.

120 selected IDF soldiers will be honored

on Yom Haatzmaut.

Since some of their faces cannot be shown,

this photo from the back will have to suffice.

President Reuven Rivlin came out at the rehearsal

and seemed to really enjoy

the few moments he spoke with the honorees.

The pilots of special planes also rehearsed this week

for the traditional mid-day air show.

From mourning

we turn to celebration

and preparing for

Yom Haatznaut,

Israel at 68.

Jerusalem Spring Colors

May 4, 2016rjstreets

Passover is over.

It is back to school,

except for high school students who are on a two-day strike.

Back to work, back to “normal”

and trying to get back on a schedule.

It will take awhile to clean up mess left behind

by tens of thousands of people in all the outdoor spaces.

But I started the week indoors at the Israel Museum,

where colors are waiting to greet you.

What a treat,

I had a guided tour with the curator.

I am so pleased that I went back to get more of

Pharaoh in Canaan: The Untold Story.

From a visiting the sphinx

to games from ancient Egypt,

this is a fascinating era in history,

and one I had not thought about before.

With Passover over, do not worry,

there is no time to get bored.

It is now time for the Yoms,

Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day,

then next week Yom HaZikaron,

Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism,

followed by Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

I love to catch the dress rehearsal flyovers.

This year there were only two small planes,

against the blue sky with wisps of white clouds.

Only two short flights,

with two planes flying in formation.

I assume there will be much more action mid-day on Yom Haatzmaut,

and I plan to be in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park for the show.

The blue and white Israeli and Jerusalem flags

are waving over many Jerusalem streets,

hung annually for the Yoms.

But new this week,

these large umbrellas

are hovering over Music Square in Jerusalem,

with smaller ones in the lanes as you approach

the square from Yoel Salomon Street.

Color from real flowers,

or another 3-D street art piece, or

I love movie posters in Hebrew,

especially this red one is for “Angry Birds.”

Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day,

begins tonight, real torches will be lit at Yad Vashem,

but many buildings have not only blue and white Israeli flags,

but also red and orange memorial flames,

like this one on the King David Hotel.

Slow, sad music has started on the radio.

On the Jerusalem, Israel streets,

it is easier to remember,

“Never Again.”

New for Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom HaZikaron

April 21, 2015rjstreets

“As long as in the heart, within,

A Jewish soul still yearns,

And onward, towards the ends of the east,

An eye still gazes toward Zion.

Our hope is not yet lost,

The hope of two thousand years,

To be a free people in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.”

On the eve of Yom Hazikaron,

On Israel’s Remembrance Day for Soldiers and Victims of Terror

flames are placed high above on many buildings.

It is a Day to Remember every year.

the young lives lost in too many wars.

There will be 23,320 Israeli flags placed,

one for each of those graves in cemeteries

located throughout Israel.

This past year 116 people were added to the list.

Year after year much is the same,

as the sadness of Yom Hazikaron,

is then transformed at nightfall into the celebrations of

Israeli Independence Day.

I love the flyovers.

Even the dress rehearsal of the planes

attracts attention.

But you have to be quick to get a great photo

and this year a bird got in my way.

Flags and planes are not the only symbols,

as you can see from this large Star of David hanging on the Chord Bridge.

In Israel, and especially in Jerusalem,

where there are so many ceremonies,

it can be hard to decide which one to attend.

Some are prayer services.

This new Koren Yom Haazma’ut Mahzor,

with over 900 pages

is a far cry from the xeroxed pages that we

used to use for Yom Ha’azmaut services.

This quality volume not only has all the prayer services

with full English translation and explanations,

but also includes services for

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day.

Included in the 248 pages of essays,

are both original writings and some English translations

of works first published in Hebrew.

The essay “Six Knocks” by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik,

was written for Yom HaAtzmaut 1956,

but all you need to do is change some of the names

and it could have been written today.

This post began with the Koren translation of Hatikva.

It is difficult, even with photos,

to explain,

year after year,

what happens in Israel on these holidays.

Perhaps this volume will help those in the Anglo world

to better understand the words of Hatikva.

Full disclosure,

I was pleased to see that so many people

I know were involved in preparation this book.

חג שמח