Yom HaZikaron Israel's Remembrance Day (Video & Photo Essay)

By BJLIfe/Sharon Altshul
Posted on 04/25/23

Jerusalem, Israel - Apr. 25, 2023 - For Yom HaZikaron the stores and restaurants in Jerusalem, Israel close early. The area near the Machane Yehudah Market was much less crowded than usual when a terrorist decided to ram people with his car. The usually packed Agrippas Street was empty for a Monday late afternoon as people prepared for the solemn day to begin at 8:00 pm with a memorial siren.

On Yom HaZikaron we remember the 24,213 people who fell during service to the country since 1860 and 4,255 people have been killed in terror attacks since 1851.

The official state ceremony is held at the Western Wall Plaza, with the Israeli President and Head of the Army speaking in Hebrew. Throughout Israel, smaller community gatherings are held. MASA this year boasted of having the largest English event with 7,000 people attending.

The original English program in Jerusalem was started to benefit lone soldiers and their families. On Monday night, April 24, 2023, The Michael Levin Base in conjunction with the Jewish National Fund produced a program at Ammunition Hill, the site of an important battle in the war in 1967 in the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem.

Alon Wald, opened the program, acted as master of ceremonies, and spoke reflecting as the son of a father who died in the 1967 battle at Ammunition Hill when he was 10 months old.

The traditional honor guard, lowering of the Israeli flag to half mast and standing for the memorial siren, plus the torch lighting, Yizkor and Kel Maleh were part of the program.

The tribute of Elan Ganeles I"YD (Elan Aryeh ben Avraham Feivel v'Kayla Sarah) by Maayan Rockland was extremely moving. He was in Israel from the US and on the way to her wedding when he was murdered in a drive-by shooting on February 27th.

A Father's Loss by Mark Levin, the father of fallen lone soldier Michael Levin z"l was also an extremely powerful speech. Michael's story of coming from Philadelphia to volunteer in the IDF has been repeated many times. However, hearing from his father, with family photos shown on the large screens, about events before and after Michael returned to Israel in July 2006 during the war to fight with his unit in Lebanon was an emotional highlight of the evening near the closing of the program.

Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, CEO of Jewish National Fund Russell Robinson, and The Michael Levin Base Chairman Richard Corman also addressed the 1500-person audience. The program was also live-streamed around the world to an even larger audience.

Special guests at Ammunition Hill included a delegation of touring senior Jewish American War Veterans and JNF tours as well as youth groups.

Yonina added musical presentations and the IDF Choir's Shir Hamalot and Prayer for the IDF were before all rose to sing Hatikvah.