Israel is now gearing up to celebrate Jerusalem Liberation Day while IDF forces are preparing for the Gideon's Chariots offensive in Gaza. Once again, the country moves from joy to worry, from thanksgiving to prayer. Op-ed.
We just returned from a wonderful trip to Israel where we celebrated Passover. We were also privileged to be there during the period of the three Yoms (Days) of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day). And now we join the joy as Israel prepares for Jerusalem Liberation Day.
What we experienced on those auspicious days in Israel is unlike anything we perceived as we marked these same occasions here in the US. I can’t help but reflect on the mix of emotions we felt that made it so unique.
First came the Yom HaShoah observance. It was unlike any I had experienced in the US. Both my father Z”L and father-in-law Z”L were miraculous Holocaust survivors, who had lived through the horrors of Auschwitz. It was thus an especially solemn and even grim day, as we remembered them and all the others who perished in the Holocaust and since. In Israel, it’s not just a local event attended by a few interested persons. It’s a whole nation marking the occasion. Everywhere we went, we felt the gravity of the moment.