Memorial Day

Memorial Day in Israel has begun, as all on the Jewish Calendar, the night preceding, since our days start with the stars in a black sky.

On TV I saw the scene at the kotel, the western wall of the Holy Temple Compound where The Beit HaMikdash once stood. In the well-lit plaza, so close to our holiest spot a ceremony began. But the ceremony wasn't Jewish, not at all. It's an imitation of what's done in America and Europe. That includes the moment of silence, the bowed heads. Yes, some psalms were said, but they're also said in other countries. King David had a way with words, and other nations also get comfort from them.

And yes, it bothers me very much. We have our own customs, and I mourn the rejection of them, as much as I mourn the dead.