During this coming week, we observe two Jewish days that could not be more different from one another. The first,
Yom HaZikaron
(Israel Memorial Day), memorializes those where were killed defending the State of Israel and civilians who were killed in acts of terrorism. The second,
Yom HaAtzmaut
(Israel Independence Day), celebrates the birth of the State, and always falls immediately thereafter. Why?
As Adar Gitsis, an Israeli emissary who spent last year in the Boston area puts it, the juxtaposition of the two is "our way of reminding ourselves that every person matters, that everyone who sacrificed his or her life for the sake of Israel had a name and an entire life that went with it—a whole universe that was lost in a tragic way. The link between Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut is obvious; without the sacrifice of those in the armed forces, there would have been no independent Jewish state."
On
Monday evening, April 27th
, following evening minyan, Rabbi Perkins and Cantor Gloth will lead a brief memorial service for Israel’s fallen. On Tuesday evening they will lead a brief celebration of Israel’s independence following minyan. All are welcome to join us on Zoom.
In addition, we wanted to make you aware of two
communal observances:
On
Monday evening at 8:00 pm,
you can view a memorial ceremony (conducted in Hebrew) for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror, held by the Consulate General of Israel to New England. For more info, click
here
.
You can also join CJP for the virtual Boston-area Yom HaAtzmaut celebration featuring Koolulam on
Wednesday at 12:00 pm.
For more info and to register (required), please click
here
.
עוֹד לֹא אָבְדָה תִּקְוָתֵנוּ,
הַתִּקְוָה בַּת שְׁנוֹת אַלְפַּיִם,
לִהְיוֹת עַם חָפְשִׁי בְּאַרְצֵנוּ,
אֶרֶץ צִיּוֹן וִירוּשָׁלַיִם
Our hope is not yet lost:
to be a free people in our land,
the land of Zion and Jerusalem.
