Israel’s National Remembrance Day

More than 75 people attended a Yom Ha’Zikaron event at the Dwares JCC April 21 that included a solemn ceremony and a discussion by a panel of community members who have served in the IDF. Organized by Israeli Shaliach Gilor Meshulam, who served in the IDF, those who attended could take candles with a QR code that would take them to an online message about a fallen Israeli soldier. The evening included song and prayer.

Last year, on Yom Ha’Zikaron, (Israel’s National Remembrance Day), I was in Jerusalem. This day occurs one day before Israel’s Independence Day, or Yom Ha’Atzmaut.

Remembrance Day is a very solemn occasion in Israel because it memorializes  all those who have fallen in wars to defend the State of Israel. The whole country is in mourning and all radio and television stations continually broadcast biographies and names of fallen heroes, who have lost their lives defending their homeland.

Since Israel is a small country, almost every family has been touched by this terrible tragedy such as the loss of a child, father, husband or a friend in battle to protect the land of Israel or in the many terrorist attacks. Therefore the sorrow of the day is felt by everyone.

Israel is a place that never forgets its heroes, martyrs and fallen soldiers.  During the War of Independence in 1948, many of the soldiers who fought in the fledgling Israeli army were young Holocaust survivors who arrived in the new land as orphans without any family.

Sadly, some of them fell in battle protecting their new adopted country.  There was no one left to mourn them.

The Israeli Government and Israeli Defense Forces never wanted to forget the sacrifice that these young men made toward the establishment of the new state.

These organizations decided to seek Israeli families willing to “adopt” the fallen soldiers posthumously as their own sons, so that each one would have someone to say Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer for them.

Many people volunteered to accept this task.

My friends, Zahava and Avner Chanoch were one such family. They adopted a young man by the name of Yaakov Goldwasser. He was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust all by himself. Yaakov’s entire family was murdered by the Nazis.

He arrived in Israel in 1946. In 1948, when the State of Israel was declared, he joined the IDF. He fell in battle defending Atarot when he was only 23 years old. The Chanoch family adopted him as a son after his death, and they spent a long time researching the details of his life, such as the names of his birth parents.  Avner Chanoch observes the anniversary of his death by reciting Kaddish, and the couple visits his grave at the Sanhedriya cemetery in Jerusalem. They also speak about him to their congregation to make sure that he is not forgotten.

I went to the cemetery with the Chanoch family last year on Yom Ha’Zikaron and observed the ceremony there conducted by the IDF military chaplain.

Before the ceremony, IDF soldiers had arrived and placed lit candles, flowers and Israeli flags on each grave. I was told that this was done all over Israel in every military cemetery for every soldier and casualty who fell in battle. The Cantor,

“Hazzan” chanted the “El Male Rachamim.” The cemetery was filled with relatives and guests who came to give their respects. Each family stood near the graveside of their loved one.  The ceremony ended with a gun salute.

It is comforting to know that these soldiers, heroes and martyrs such as Yaakov Goldwasser of blessed memory will never be forgotten.

VARDA STIEGLITZ is a former Attleboro High School teacher and educational consultant.