An Israeli soldier stands at attention during the flag laying ceremony at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on April 19, 2015 (Photo credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90)
YOM HA ZIKARON – Israel Remembrance Day
Wednesday, April 22 Yom Hazikaron 2015 Yom Hazikaron is an especially solemn time and marked by ceremonies and silences across the country. It runs from sundown to sundown, in 2015, from April 21-22, and is followed immediately by Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. Yom Hazikaron begins at sundown (8.00pm) when a siren is sounded across the country for one minute. Everybody stops what they are doing, including cars driving on the highway, and observes the silence to show their respect and remember the fallen. That evening, the official State Ceremony to mark the start of Yom Hazikaron takes place at the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem. Unlike in many other countries, Israel’s wars have taken place at home, and being a small country, almost everybody knows somebody who died in the country’s wars making Yom Hazikaron an incredibly personal time of remembrance.
YOM HA ZIKARON – Israel Remembrance Day
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Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel – 2015
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Israel Stops to Remember
Yom Hazikaron is the national remembrance day observed in Israel for those who fell since 1860, when Jews were first allowed to live in Palestine outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls. National memorial services are held in the presence of Israel’s top leadership and military personnel. The day opens with a siren the preceding evening at 20:00 (8:00 pm), given that in the Hebrew calendar system, a day begins at sunset. The siren is heard all over the country and lasts for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything (including driving, which stops highways) and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect. Many religious Jews say prayers for the souls of the fallen soldiers at this time. The official ceremony to mark the opening of the day takes place at the Western Wall, and the flag of Israel is lowered to half staff.
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YOM HA ZIKARON – Israel Remembrance Day
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YOM HA ZIKARON – Israel Remembrance Day
On Yom HaZikaron, Israelis will pay tribute to the country’s fallen soldiers and civilians who were killed as a result of terrorism.
The following video captures OneFamily’s annual private ceremony for families, young adults, and children bereaved of a sibling, a parent, or a child.
The video enables communities around the world to take part – to memorialize and remember together with families in Israel, and to understand and empathize with their anguish and loss.
Israel Memorial Day
Israel Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron
