Memorials

Last year's Yom Hazikaron and Haatzmaut were far from the usual given the national lockdown and one of our kids needing stitches. As a sense of normalcy from the Coronavirus pandemic is returning here, there were feelings and experiences that were new for everyone.

This Yom Hazikaron reminded us, as parents, how Israel does it right (as hard as it is). Back in the United States, it was peculiar that Memorial Day often is commemorated with sales at the mall, family BBQ gatherings, vacations and the like. Surely we did see social media posts of veterans and cemeteries, but for many in the United States, the impact of loss is far removed. Soldiers are not often seen wandering the streets and with service being voluntary, it is much less in your face. At least, that was our collective and personal observation growing up and continued bewilderment into adulthood.

Another new this year was being able to attach the Israeli flag to our car and drive around town with it (and tomorrow beyond). Last year we did not own a car (we borrowed the neighbor's car to drive to the hospital for stitches and afterward realized that we need to have our own mode of transport). Neither of us would either dare back in Massachusetts to display the Israeli flag driving around town. While there are Jewish communities that can display their patriotism to Israel more than in other places, it is hard to gather and measure what the public response would be. Openly being able to raise the flag in such a public fashion is incredibly heartwarming.

Now onto this cutie pictured above. His gan teachers asked that blue and white be worn for the day. We saved the shirts that a friend purchased for us to wear on our aliyah flight and we've been able to use this gift, thankfully, on several occasions since. As we received pictures from Gan throughout the day, we initially had a hard time spotting him out, and suddenly saw that he was pictured waving the Israeli flag and wearing Israeli army uniform. 

There's a mix of feelings with that -- Hachayal Sheli. Soon, one day, to be protecting the country. His turn will come to stand and serve to protect future generations. This appreciation is taught at a very young age and is thus very set in Israeli society. 

The night before we had experienced also the more intense extreme in having to calm down our eldest who was in tears for all the world wars. The laundry list of frustrations included the Holocaust, pollution destroying the world and that humanity just isn't nice to each other. We reiterated that the establishment of the State of Israel was to ensure the safety of the Jewish people, the remarkable intelligence that we have here and care that we have for one another (even when we may all come from different extremes and backgrounds). This was another new first that we did not have to deal with last year, given that all we had to mark the day was the timely sirens.

And so, even with almost two years approaching to our aliyah, we still find ourselves in new situations and adapting to society around us.

We are past the honeymoon stage and thankfully still super grateful to be back home.

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From the desk of the hubby:

What is the most complicated day on the Jewish calendar? As whole days go, that day is Tisha B’av. What is the most complicated hour on the Jewish calendar? That is the hour, the בין השמשות, from יום הזכרון into יום העצמאות. 

I don’t know what other countries do, but modern day Israel has chosen to juxtapose the still raw pain of Memorial Day with the joy and elation of Independence Day by placing them one after the other. As one who identifies as a religious Zionist, I can’t help but see that our religious interpretation of these emotions draws from various aspects of the Jewish calendar. 

It isn’t every generation of Jews that is faced with creating a new יום טוב. That being said I’m happy I and my family are living here (while we miss our family and friends) and that we can live and experience almost the entire Jewish calendar in 24 hours; the last יום טוב to be established before the coming of משיח, במהרה בימינו. 

מועדים לשמחה לגאולה שלמה!