Yom HaZikaron in Israel was a far different experience than anything I had ever seen in the United States. The entire country shuts down to remember those soldiers who have fallen for the State of Israel. It is because of them that Israel exists and continues to thrive. On Erev Yom HaZikaron, we attended the official ceremony in Hod HaSharon. We heard speeches from the Mayor and others and heard beautiful performances by two choirs. The sight of seeing thousands of people stand in silence at the sound of the siren is unbelievable. I couldn't help but think about Israel's history of wars and the strength of the Israel Defense Forces. My thoughts also turned to my friends and relatives in Israel; irrespective of where they were located in the country, they too stood in silence while listening to the siren. During an intense time of mourning and grief, the country stood together as one.

The day of Yom HaZikaron, we went on a Tiyul to Castel and Latrun, the sites of two key battles in the Independence War. Afterward, we attended a ceremony for Machal, an acronym in Hebrew meaning "Volunteer Soldiers for Israel". While the ceremony was significantly smaller than the night before, it was nonetheless very meaningful. We met soldiers from Canada, Britain, the United States, and other countries who have dedicated their lives to protecting the State of Israel. We heard the story of Murray Greenfeld, an American who volunteered on the crew of a ship bringing Holocaust survivors to Israel.





That night Erev Yom HaAtzmaut began, Israel's Independence Day. Just hours before, the mood in Israel was somber. With the arrival of Yom HaAtzmaut, however, the country rejoiced. The streets refilled and people began to celebrate. We attended two concerts in Ranana and Hod Hasharon, each full of tens of thousands of people. We saw Svika Pik and Synergia perform, the first being an old timer and the second is a popular band. The parties continued until the wee hours of the morning.

We spent the next day at the beach in Herziliya followed by a barbque on campus. That night, we went to a huge concert in Park HaYarkon in Tel Aviv. Over 100,000 people filled the park to hear performances by Ivri Lider, Sarit Hadad, Ninet, Rita, and Mashina, huge performers in Israel.





One recent tiyul was entitled "Minorities Day in Israel". We heard from an Arab Israeli, toured the Green Line, saw the Security Fence, and went to a check point in the West Bank. The Arab Israeli stirred quite a bit of controversy as he agreed with Jimmy Carter's charge that Israel treats its Arab citizens in the same fashion as apartheid in South Africa. That night, we went to a Druze village where we learned about the Druzis' intense loyalty to Israel. They are the only minority required to served in the Israeli Army and they are more than willing to do so. A fundamental belief of their religion is to protect and defend whatever land they live on.





Last week, we went on a Tiyul to Yad Vashem, Israel's museum to commemorate the Holocaust. An area called the Valley of Communities is located on the museum grounds. The Valley is full of huge stones inscribed with the names of every village in Europe where Jews lived. The goal is to see what life was like before the Shoah and to see the huge impact of the Nazi occupation.

I was able to find the town of Poltusk in Poland where my great grandma lived before moving to the United States. The museum was very moving; because of its architecture, each visitor ends up with a beautiful view of Jerusalem after leaving. I interpreted the view as recognition that after the horrors of the Holocaust, we now have a Jewish state.





I just returned from a free weekend with my relatives in Tel Aviv. It was very fun and relaxing and great to spend time with them. Tomorrow morning, we are off to Gadna for five days, a taste of the Israeli army. It will be as close to possible as the real Israeli army. We will have to wake up around 5:30 in the morning, clean the kitchen and bathrooms, wear the army uniform, do a lot of running, and will have the opportunity to fire a gun. Wish me luck! We then go to the Negev desert, where we will be riding camels and sleeping in a Beduin tent. Then off to Eilat for two days at the beach!



Until then, L’hitraot v Shalom!