Yom ha-Azma'ut / Israel Independence Day

Yom ha-Azma'ut / Israel Independence Day
Yom ha-Azma'ut, or Israel Independence Day, is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the Hebrew month Iyar. This day marks the end of the British Mandate and the official forming of the State of Israel in 1948. Jewish sovereignty over the ancient homeland enabled Jewish people to return to Israel from the four corners of the world, as the Bible predicted they would. The modern state of Israel is comprised of Jews from hundreds of nations and as many different backgrounds and languages. Yet, a distinct Israeli Jewish culture and style has emerged as demonstrated by the use of Hebrew as a common language. This means the gospel of Y'shua can be proclaimed to millions of our people using one language!

Of the almost six million Jews that have settled in Israel, less than one percent believe in Jesus. As we Jews for Jesus celebrate Israel Independence Day, we also recognize our dependence on God as we seek to reach Jews in Israel and all over the world with the message of Y'shua.

Read about a true story of reconciliation between a Israeli Jewish believer and an Arab Muslim family in The Sulha: Reconciliation in the Middle East and a heart-warming story of the first American Messianic Jewish couple to immigrate (make aliyah) to Israel at our online store.


http://jewsforjesus.org/

Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)

Overview: Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)


Israel's Independence Day is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Iyar, which is the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the state, when members of the "provisional government" read and signed a Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. The original date corresponded to May 14, 1948.

Most of the Jewish communities in the Western world have incorporated this modern holiday into their calendars, but some North American Jewish communities hold the public celebrations on a following Sunday, in order to attract more participation. In the State of Israel it is a formal holiday; so almost everyone has the day off.

Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel is always preceded by Yom Hazikaron--Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers. The message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence--the very existence of the state--to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.

The official "switch" from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha'atzmaut takes place a few minutes after sundown, with a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in which the flag is raised from half staff (due to Memorial Day) to the top of the pole. The president of Israel delivers a speech of congratulations, and soldiers representing the army, navy, and air force parade with their flags. In recent decades this small-scale parade has replaced the large-scale daytime parade, which was the main event during the 1950s and '60s. The evening parade is followed by a torch lighting (hadlakat masuot) ceremony, which marks the country's achievements in all spheres of life.

Other than the official ceremonies, Israelis celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut in a variety of ways. In the cities, the nighttime festivities may be found on the main streets. Crowds will gather to watch public shows offered for free by the municipalities and the government. Many spend the night dancing Israeli folk dances or singing Israeli songs. During the daytime thousands of Israeli families go out on hikes and picnics. Army camps are open for civilians to visit and to display the recent technological achievements of the Israeli Defense Forces. Yom Ha'atzmaut is concluded with the ceremony of granting the "Israel Prize" recognizing individual Israelis for their unique contribution to the country's culture, science, arts, and the humanities.

The religious character of Yom Ha'atzmaut is still in the process of formation, and is still subject to debate. The Chief Rabbinate of the State (which consists of Orthodox rabbis) has decided that this day should be marked with the recital of Hallel (psalms of praise), similar to other joyous holidays, and with the reading of a special haftarah (prophetic portion). Most ultra-Orthodox Jews, in Israel and abroad, have not accepted this ruling, and some Orthodox Jews chant the Hallel psalms without the blessing which precedes it.

On the other hand, HaKibbutz HaDati (Modern Orthodox Kibbutz Movement) initiated a version of the prayer Al HaNissim ("Concerning the Miracles") to be added to the Amidah (the central prayer recited while standing) on Yom Ha'atzmaut, as it is on Hanukkah and Purim. This special addition to the liturgy of the day was not approved by the Chief Rabbinate but was adopted by the Masorti (Conservative) and the Progressive (Reform) congregations in Israel. Some rabbis argue that Yom Ha'atzmaut should be viewed in conjunction with Hanukkah and Purim, since all three commemorate a "miraculous" victory of the Jews over an enemy of superior military might. It should be noted that most Israelis do not consider Yom Ha'atzmaut a religious holiday at all.

For American Jews, celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut has been a way to express solidarity with the state of Israel and to strengthen their alliance with it. In many communities, it is one of few occasions in which Jewish organizations and synagogues of different ideologies and denominations cooperate in forming a common celebration. In many North American congregations, the joint public celebration often is augmented by a religious service. In some cases, this would occur on the Shabbat closest to Yom Ha'atzmaut and would consist of additional readings added to the service and, usually, the singing of Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem).

The standard Reform prayerbook, Gates of Prayer (Shaarei Tefillah) includes a service for Yom Ha'atzmaut, while the Conservative prayerbook, Sim Shalom includes Hallel and Al Hanissim to be recited on this occasion.

There is not yet an accepted "tradition" of how to celebrate this holiday, and only time will tell whether certain customs, foods, prayers, and melodies will be linked in the Jewish mind with this holiday, as with holidays that emerged many centuries before Yom Ha'atzmaut. For Jews around the world, joining with Israelis celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut has become a concrete link in the Jewish connection to the land of Israel.



http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Modern_Holidays/Yom_Haatzmaut.shtml

Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Ha-Shoah)

Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Ha-Shoah)

The full name of the day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust is “Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah”— literally the "Day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism." It is marked on the 27th day in the month of Nisan — a week after the seventh day of Passover, and a week before Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers). It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

The date was selected by the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) on April 12, 1951. The full name became formal in a law that was enacted by the Knesset on August 19, 1953. Although the date was established by the Israeli government, it has become a day commemorated by Jewish communities and individuals worldwide.

In the early 1950s, education about the Holocaust (Shoah, meaning catastrophe, in Hebrew) emphasized the suffering inflicted on millions of European Jews by the Nazis. Surveys conducted in the late 1950s indicated that young Israelis did not sympathize with the victims of the Holocaust, since they believed that European Jews were "led like sheep for slaughter." The Israeli educational curriculum began to shift the emphasis to documenting how Jews resisted their Nazi tormentors through "passive resistance" — retaining their human dignity in the most unbearable conditions — and by "active resistance," fighting the Nazis in the ghettos and joining underground partisans who fought the Third Reich in its occupied countries.

Since the early 1960s, the sound of a siren on Yom Hashoah stops traffic and pedestrians throughout the State of Israel for two minutes of silent devotion. The siren blows at sundown and once again at 11:00 A.M. on this date. All radio and television programs during this day are connected in one way or another with the Jewish destiny in World War II, including personal interviews with survivors. Even the musical programs are adapted to the atmosphere of Yom Hashoah. There is no public entertainment on Yom Hashoah, as theaters, cinemas, pubs, and other public venues are closed throughout Israel.

Many Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis have never endorsed this memorial day, nor have they formally rejected it. There is no change in the daily religious services in some Orthodox synagogues on Yom Hashoah. The Orthodox Rabbinate of Israel attempted to promote the Tenth of Tevet — a traditional fast day commemorating the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem in ancient times — as the "General Kaddish Day" in which Jews should recite the memorial prayer and light candles in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust. Several ultra-Orthodox rabbis have recommended adding piyyutim (religious poems) that were written by contemporary rabbis to the liturgy of the Ninth of Av, and many communities follow this custom. Ismar Schorsch, the chancellor of the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary, has also suggested moving Holocaust commemorations to Tisha b'Av, because that is the day in which Judaism ritualizes its most horrible destructions.

Jews in North America observe Yom Hashoah within the synagogue as well as in the broader Jewish community. Commemorations range from synagogue services to communal vigils and educational programs. A few congregations find it more practical to hold commemorative ceremonies on the closest Sunday to Yom Hashoah. Many Yom Hashoah programs feature a talk by a Holocaust survivor, recitation of appropriate songs and readings, or viewing of a Holocaust-themed film. Some communities choose to emphasize the depth of loss that Jews experienced in the Holocaust by reading the names of Holocaust victims one after another — dramatizing the unfathomable notion of six million deaths. Many Jewish schools also hold Holocaust-related educational programs on or near Yom Hashoah.

Rituals associated with Yom Hashoah are still being created and vary widely among synagogues. Attempts have also been made to observe this memorial day at home. One suggestion is that every Jewish home should light a yahrzeit (memorial) candle on this day.

There have been numerous attempts to compose special liturgy (text and music) for Yom Hashoah. In 1988 the Reform movement published Six Days of Destruction. This book, co-authored by Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Albert Friedlander, was meant to be viewed as a "sixth scroll," a modern addition to the five scrolls that are read on specific holidays. Six narratives from Holocaust survivors are juxtaposed to the six days of creation found in Genesis.

In 1984, Rabbi David Golinkin of the Masorti (Conservative) movement in Israel wrote an article in which he suggested a program of observance for Yom HaShoah, which included fasting. One of the most recent achievements is Megillat Hashoah (The Holocaust Scroll) created by the Conservative movement as a joint project of rabbis and lay-leaders in Canada, the U.S., and Israel. This Holocaust scroll contains personal recollections of Holocaust survivors and is written in biblical style. It was composed under the direction of Professor Avigdor Shinan of Hebrew University and published by the International Rabbinical Assembly, the international body of Conservative rabbis, and the Masorti (Conservative) movement's Schecter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Avraham (Avi) Weiss, a modern Orthodox rabbi in New York, wrote a special Haggadah for the Yom HaShoah seder, to create a seder (much like on Passover and Tu b'Shevat) in which the story of the Holocaust is retold.

While Yom Hashoah rituals are still in flux there is no question that this day holds great meaning for Jews worldwide. The overwhelming theme that runs through all observances is the importance of remembering — recalling the victims of this catastrophe, and insuring that such a tragedy never happen again. The Shoah (Holocaust) posed an enormous challenge to Judaism and raised many questions: Can one be a believing Jew after the Holocaust? Where was God? How can one have faith in humanity? Facing this recent event in history, does it really matter if one practices Judaism? Jewish theologians and laity have struggled with these questions for decades. The very fact that Jews still identify Jewishly, practice their religion — and have embraced the observance of Yom Hashoah answers some of the questions raised by the Holocaust.


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Source: My Jewish Learning, Learn@JTS, Rabbi David Golinkin "Yom Hashoah: A Program of Observance", Conservative Judaism, Vol. XXXVII, no. 4 (Summer 1984), p. 52-64





http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/yomhashoah.html

Yom Ha-Zikaron

Yom Ha-Zikaron
by Avi Hein

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, four new holidays have been added to the Jewish national calendar – Yom HaShoah v' HaGevurah (Holocaust Heroes and Martyrs' Day), Yom Ha-Zikaron (Memorial Day), Yom Ha-Aatzmaut (Independence Day), and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). In Israel, these holidays are widely observed as national holidays, but outside of Israel they claim varying degrees of prominence and commemoration.
The Israeli Knesset established the fourth of Iyar, the day preceding Yom Ha-Atzmaut, as a Memorial Day for soldiers who lost their lives in battle for the creation of the State of Israel and all those soldiers who died subsequently defending the State of Israel.

Perhaps because much of the Israeli population has relatives or close friends who have died defending Israel, Yom Ha-Zikaron is widely observed throughout all sectors of Israel, with the exception of most Arabs (Druze and Beduoin, many of whom have served in the Israeli military, being a notable exception) and non-Zionist haredi Jews. Throughout the entire day (beginning at sunset, per the Jewish lunar calendar) places of entertainment are closed by law. Unlike in America, in which Memorial Day is often used simply as an excuse for another sale, Israeli shops, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. are shut down. The radio and television stations play programs about Israel's wars and show programming that convey the somber mood of the day.

Perhaps the most widely recognized commemoration, as on Yom HaShoah, an air raid siren is played twice during Yom Ha-Zikaron. All activity, including traffic, immediately ceases. People get out of their cars, even in the middle of otherwise busy highways, and stand in respect for the sacrifice of those who died defending Israel. The first siren marks the beginning of Memorial Day and the second is sounded immediately prior to the public recitation of prayers in military cemeteries.

Numerous public ceremonies are held throughout Israel. Special readings and poems are often recited. There is a national ceremony at the military cemetery on Mt. Herzl, where many of Israel's leaders and soldiers are buried. Many schools and public buildings have memorial corners with memorials to those from their community who died in Israel's wars.

While mostly viewed in a secular national character, there is also a religious component to Yom Ha-Zikaron. There is a special yizkor (rememberance) prayer and "El Maleh Rachamim" memorial prayer for members of the Israeli Defense Forces who died in the line of duty, which is read at many of the Yom Ha-Zikaron ceremonies. Some members of the religious Zionist (national religious) community has also added special prayers to the prayer service for the evening prayers on Yom Ha-Zikaron. The mourners kaddish is often said. The development of Yom Ha-Zikaron as a religious holiday is still developing.

Since the second intifada, many have extended Yom Ha-Zikaron to remember not only soldiers who died defending Israel but also security guards through their daily guarding of public buildings, restaurants, and cafes they have given their life to save the lives of those inside due to terrorist attacks.

In tune with the Jewish tradition of recognizing joy in times of sadness and sadness in times of joy, Yom Ha-Zikaron's somber end heralds the beginning of the joyous and festive Yom Ha-Atzmaut, Independence Day.

Outside of Israel, Yom Ha-Zikaron is not widely observed, except perhaps for a short commemoration that is held prior to evening observances of Yom Ha-Atzmaut.


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Source: "Overview: Yom Ha-Zikaron," MyJewishLearning.com, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, World Union of Jewish Students - Yom Ha-Zikaron





http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/yomhazikaron.html