Jerusalem, Israel, for the Yoms
as usual was overloaded with events,
many this year influenced in anticipation of
![Celebrating 50 years liberation of Jerusalem](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-061b-1024x624.jpg)
50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem.
Israeli flags are draped down the sides of buildings.
![Israeli flags Israel Museum for memorial and Independence day](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-047b-1024x604.jpg)
These are at the Israel Museum entrance
where the dome of the Shrine of the Book can be seen.
Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Remembrance Day
for fallen soldiers and victims of terror,
began Sunday night with memorials throughout Israel,
and were accompanied by prayers, speeches and memorial flames.
The official state ceremony seen live on television,
was held at the Kotel, the Western Wall,
where President Reuven Rivlin lit the memorial light.
![Ammunition Hill on Israel Memorial Day](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-HaZikaron-LSC-128b-649x1024.jpg)
Sponsored by the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin,
a memorial service was held at Givat HaTachmoshet, Ammunition Hill,
the site of deadly fighting to defend Jerusalem in 1967.
The program in English was live-streamed
and seen by over 16,000 people around the world.
All day Monday, tens of thousands of Israelis visited cemeteries.
![Cemetery Jerusalem 1948-49](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-043b-1024x678.jpg)
This cemetery has many graves from 1948-1950,
the first years that Jews could not get to
the Mount of Olives due to the Jordanian occupation
and had to find new places to bury their dead.
![One man standing by old grave in Jerusalem cemetery on Yom Hazikaron](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-020fb-1024x583.jpg)
On Yom HaZikaron, a man prayed by a grave.
![Israeli military grave on Yom HaZikaron](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-028b-1024x650.jpg)
A small Israeli flag with a black ribbon attached,
and small bunch of flowers, yizkor, remembers
![Flowers, Israeli flag and black yizkor ribbon on 1948 grave](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-032b-1024x643.jpg)
those much too young who died in war.
The cemetery is next to Harel Garden
![Memorial wreath at Harel Garden Memotial](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-011b-1024x613.jpg)
and Memorial wall, where this lone wreath was placed.
Walk around the memorial and you can see
![At Harel Memorial distance to Gush Etzion lost in 1948 to Jordan](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Hazikaron-5777-Day-014b-1024x752.jpg)
that Gush Etzion is 16 kilometers from Cinema City and
the Israeli Supreme Court and government offices.
![Israel Yom HaZikaron at Har Herzel end of day](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-004b-1024x559.jpg)
Tens of thousands came to Har Herzl Military Cemetery
during the day, to place flowers and to mourn,
remembering those lost to war and terror.
![Woman sitting near graves of Har Herzl military cemetery Yom Hazikron](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-007b-1024x683.jpg)
The crowds thinned at end of day,
![Two soldiers walking on Har Herzl Cemetery](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-010b-1024x678.jpg)
and all headed home from the Har Herzl Military Cemetery.
But as the sun set,
on another part of Har Herzl,
![Stage ready for Yom Haaztmaut official televised program](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-091b-1024x678.jpg)
the lights went on this huge stage,
celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day.
This year for the first time two non-Israelis were selected
with the honor of lighting one of the 12 memorial flames,
Rabbi Marvin Hier and Michael Steinhardt,
![Two US honorees in Israeli ceremony](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-035edit.jpg)
seen here before the official program began.
The show is telecast live and seen by thousands,
![Show for Yom Haatmaut ceremony](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-145b-1024x678.jpg)
but watching on TV you could not see them remove
the circle of fire used in one production number.
It is an extravaganza with set rituals,
![Israel Independence day starts with lighting of ceremony torch](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-185b-1024x607.jpg)
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat broke with tradition
when he joined with Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein
to light the official flame of Israel’s Independence Day.
![waving flags and cheering](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-211b-1024x595.jpg)
Seats were at a premium, the flag waving,
cheering crowd did not need a lot of encouragement.
![One of 12 torch lighters Chana Henkin](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-216b-1024x563.jpg)
Besides the two Americans, I wanted to see Rabbanit Chana Henkin
who was honored as one of the twelve torch lighters,
one for each tribe of Israel.
![Dr Ahmad Eid speaks at Yom Haatzmaut ceremony](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-227b-1024x519.jpg)
Dr. Ahmed Eid, an Arab doctor, was another honoree.
![Military with flags at ceremony on Yom Haatzmaut on Har Herzl](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-254b-1024x598.jpg)
The program featured songs and military colors.
![Soldiers form a Jewish star during official ceremony for Yom Haatzmaut](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-258bjl-1024x566.jpg)
For this shot, no seat in the stands would work,
![Sunset at Har Herzl camera over head](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Har-Hertzl-Yom-Haatzmaut-062b-1024x684.jpg)
only this overhead camera would do.
Afterwards celebrations went all night,
in too many locations to list, with prayers, songs and dancing.
![Music for diplomats at Beit Hanasi Independence day](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Beit-Hanasi-Diplomats-5777-Yom-Haatzmaut-012b-1024x768.jpg)
The next day at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,
120 outstanding soldiers were honored in the morning
![Front row Beit Hanasi on Yom Haatzmaut](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Beit-Hanasi-Diplomats-5777-Yom-Haatzmaut-029b-1024x687.jpg)
and in the afternoon rows of diplomats came,
![Yom Haatazmaut at Beit Hanasi](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Beit-Hanasi-Diplomats-5777-Yom-Haatzmaut-046b-1024x664.jpg)
along with one young Presidential grandson,
to pay their respects to Israel and hear the Prime Minister
and President speak on theme,”next year in Jerusalem.”
While the heads of consuls and foreign military were at Beit Hanasi,
![Gan Sacher Yom Haatzmaut](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Haatzmaut-5777-Jerusalem-059b-1024x646.jpg)
thousands of Israelis were in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.
![Lone Soldier Center mangal Yom Haatzmaut](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Haatzmaut-5777-Jerusalem-042e-1024x647.jpg)
Most of the green spaces all over the country were full of Israelis.
On the radio were announcements of crowded roads to JNF parks.
![Couch brought to Gan Sacher](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Yom-Haatzmaut-5777-Jerusalem-046b-1024x677.jpg)
This family brought a couch to Gan Sacher,
which is one way to make your holiday mangal, BBQ, feel like home.
I know this is getting way too long,
but there was so much more,
like the Bible Competition, free museums, and performances.
festive meals, and those IDF flyovers and stunts.
Israel, after 69 years
as President Rivlin said, is young for a country,
under constant threat and repeated attacks,
yet has accomplished so much.
So it was,
![Flowers at Beit Hanasi 69](http://rjstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Beit-Hanasi-Diplomats-5777-Yom-Haatzmaut-004b-1024x603.jpg)
from memorials to celebrating independence,
so much happening in Jerusalem.