Preparing for Independence Day by Remembering...

I know that some people have a problem with the Israeli custom which schedules Memorial Day immediately before Independence Day. It's an emotional roller-coaster as we quickly veer from tears to cheers.

Davka, I consider that timing to be of the most extreme importance and significance. The State of Israel would not exist and survive if it hadn't been for the bravery of our soldiers and civilians, who've lost their lives in our defense.

We remember and mourn not just the soldiers who actively fought for for the State of Israel, but we also remember and mourn the civilians murdered by Arab terrorists.

Last night at our Book Club meeting, we discussed the issue. We are "English readers" from a number of countries, so the question was:

"What do you remember of your former Memorial Day?"

For those of us longest in Israel, we only remember Memorial Day as one for socializing and barbecues. It was a vacation day. Those who made aliyah more recently from North America consider it a major shopping day. "Memorial Day Sales" are big draws in marketing nowadays. There was nothing ideological, patriotic or "thankful" in the day to those who lost their lives in defense of the country. Just remember to bring money and have lots of food.

It's clear to us that if Israel would, Gd forbid, separate Memorial from Independence Days, we'd have that same problem. We'd find ourselves forgetting rather than remembering on Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron.

So, I'm taking this opportunity to remember two friends from over a half a century ago, both killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. They were members of Betar Zionist Youth Movement and lived in New York. We all made aliyah in the late 1960s early 1970s. Our friends in Israel still gather together every year at the Har Herzl graves.

Chaim, Chuck Hornstein, Haran, HaYa"D, was a "lone soldier" before there were special conditions privileges for those who joined the army without a family support system. Chuck was killed in the early days of the Yom Kippur War, up north in the Golan. He lives on in the memory of close friends.

Eli Solomon, HaYa"D, was a young father of two, married to Rena, when he was killed in the Sinai, after the ceasefire with Egypt. He is survived by his widow, children, grandchildren and many friends.





When we celebrate Yom HaAtzma'ut, Israeli  Independence Day we remember the friends who are no longer with us. Actually, we remember them all the time. There are so many people we remember and mourn. Neighbors and students, children and grandchildren of those dear to us were also killed for no reason other than their being Jewish and Israeli. Some were uniformed IDF soldiers in battle gear, while others were just infants.

Our enemies don't distinguish between us. They have no mercy, nor do they value life. That is why we must remember and mourn at the same time that we celebrate our survival and the Independence of the State of Israel.

Chag Atzma'ut Sameach!

Israel, Where The Prime Minister is "Just Another Bereaved Brother"

It doesn't matter how rich, famous, intelligent, educated, good-looking, successful or ordinary one is. Death will strike us eventually. And part of the "Israeli experience" is that there are wars, terrorism (against soldiers and civilians,) deadly enemies and even accidents of all sorts that happen to those serving in the IDF Israeli Defense Forces. Each of these victims leaves somebody or many to mourn them.

yoni.org

When Yom Zikaron, Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims comes around, our Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu becomes a mourner like too many others. His elder brother, Yoni, was killed in the heroic and legendary hostage rescue in Entebbe, 1976.

Now Bibi Netanyahu is a third-term Prime Minister of Israel, and that's how we relate to him, whether we support his policies or disagree with the way he is running the State of Israel.

yoni.org

We shouldn't forget that, and we can't forget that Bibi, like too many others, lives in the shadow of a brother whose life was cut short.

One of the themes this year in the television memorial shows was how the weight of bereavement affects siblings, especially the younger siblings. And one of the channels promoted their special interview with the the two surviving Netanyahu brothers. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it.

We're all the sum of our experience and decisions. And we should all include the genes we inherited. We are a combination of all these ingredients. Judaism stresses that we have free will. We aren't fated to any end. We can take what we were given and make something great or set up tragedy and depression. Free will also gives us the ability to change. The only think we can't do is bring someone back to life.

The State of Israel was established in the shadow of the Holocaust, but not because of the Holocaust. All of the foundations had been laid by brave, idealistic Zionists, secular, traditional and all varieties of religious, yes, including chareidim. They began building neighborhoods, kibbutzim, moshavim, communities and cities decades before Hitler began his cruel and immoral career/ideology.

I don't know how being a bereaved brother has influenced Binyamin Netanyahu's policies. And I don't know if being a bereaved brother has influenced Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to enter Israeli politics...

אֱמֶת Emmet, The Only Truth

It's rather ironic that although my written Hebrew is awful, I see, hear and think about Hebrew linguistics a lot.  Most people are rather surprised at my grasp of Hebrew linguistics and the meanings I find in words.

The word אמת  emmet, truth, written without Hebrew vowels, unlike the way I wrote it in this post's title, can mean something which really is the emmet, truth.  That is אמות amute I will die.  The actual Hebrew root for die is מ ו ת which has a "ו" but the "ו" is dropped in some of the conjugations of the verb, such as past tense.

It may sound a bit strange, but the only certainty in life is that we will one day die.

Why is death so on my mind today?  That's because it's Israel's Soldiers and Terror Victims Memorial Day. After two totally mesmerizing moving ceremonies, last night and this morning, all I can do is think of the victims, those dead from Arab terror or war. 

After seeing and hearing and talking to all the parents, spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends (did I leave anyone out?) of the dead how can anything other than death be on my mind?

They may not be among the living, but they certainly cast a long shadow on us and our lives.

In the speeches, it was clear that time doesn't heal the pain.  Everyone I spoke to afterwards agreed that each year it gets harder.  The mourning comes in waves.

From the comments on my One of The Very Best Things About Israel  and the comments on facebook about the post, I see that not everyone agrees with me that it's good to combine Independence Day with Memorial Day.  I treasure the fact that I'm taking intense memories of the dead with me to the celebrations.  I don't think it is good to just celebrate our independence.  It's too much like those who think that all you have to do is "write a check" to buy something and don't realize that the check must be covered by money in the bank.

It's important to realize the cost of something, and that includes the State of Israel.  Our country isn't just a money budget.  We've invested many lives in building it.

We are Jews, יהודים Yihudim. In the word יהודי yihudi Jew we can find the להודות lihodote, to thank, and we must thank G-d and all of those who gave their lives for the defense of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

And tonight we will celebrate the G-d given victory...

חג העצמאות שמח

Chag Ha'Atzmaut Same'ach

Happy Independence Day

Peace, That's The Problem

This post has been "festering" in my mind for awhile, but it only came to a head at the recent Yom Zikaron-- Soldiers and Terror Victims Memorial Day. One of the songs used as "background" mentioned "peace."

Forever, it seems, Israel has been striving for peace, willing to do everything for peace. That's the problem.

We should be doing everything plus, not for peace, for VICTORY, victory against our enemies. Only when we defeat our enemies will we know peace, true peace.

All of those praising peace as an ideal, whether Peace Now or the late Menachem Begin have been dangerously wrong and misguided. We are suffering from peace-caused terror.

By not concentrating our energies in defeating those who want to destroy us, we are facilitating their strengthening. Just look at what has been going on, even before the State of Israel was established. All that talk about living with our Arab neighbors in peace, as if we're sharing some fancy apartment house.

The Arabs understand the situation very well, unlike the Jews. For us to have real peace we must understand our enemies and we have to be victorious. Life is no yin/yang coexistence. In real life all people aren't equal; that's anarchy.

Consensus is mediocrity at best. Some people are meant to lead. It's not that they're aggressive; they are more efficient. Think of all the jokes about committees.

Everyone is different; that's how G-d makes us. We all have different talents and roles. Our opportunities should suit that pragmatic reality.

To think that some sort of peaceful compromise can be made with terrorists is totally and dangerously and suicidally unrealistic!

I remember being asked by immigrants of the former USSR why Israel doesn't celebrate Victory Day, what they called the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. They got it right in that sense.

We have to stop being embarrassed about our victories.

• If only we had proudly celebrated our 1967 victory over Egypt, Jordan and Syria...
• If only we had immediately settled our liberated HolyLand with total enthusiasm...
• If only we had built the Third Temple on Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount) immediately after our victory, instead of giving our very holiest spot to our enemy...

I have no doubt, no doubt at all, that the Moshiach (Messiah) was here with us, ready to take us to true peace. But we sinned. I must say "we," because we're all responsible. Jewish prayers are in the plural, "our G-d," never "my G-d."

To get back to such a lofty level will be difficult. We must be proud of our military might, not embarrassed by it.

In 1967 we defeated our enemies in six days, six days like the six days of creation. The True Shabbat was about to begin. Shabbat is considered by chazal, our sages, as a taste of Redemption. But the key was given to our enemies and we will have to fight again until we understand that victory is our goal. G-d willing.

Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach

May you have a Peaceful and Blessed Sabbath.

Remembering in New Jersey

As a long-time Israeli, and also someone who didn't go to Jewish schools, I have no idea how Israel is perceived in other places. Yes, I read the papers, blog and do have some contact with others, but it's nice the same.

I was glad to be sent Yom HaZikaron in Edison, NJ, a post on one of my favorite blogs about the school ceremony in memory of Israel's dead soldiers and victims of Arab terrorism. Yes, I stand corrected. Our dead soldiers are also victims of Arab terror.

I'd like to see other posts about how Jewish schools all over the world commemorate those Israelis, and others, murdered by terrorists. Please send the links in the comments. Thanks

Who's Brave?

This is the day of the year when we commemorate those killed and murdered by our enemies, but who is really the brave?


Are they the ones who fought the enemy and died?

Or are the bravest of all those who lost their loved ones and go on living?