Yom HaZikaron

Dear Friends of Israel,

In contrast to the United States of America, the State of Israel observes two Memorial Days every year.

The first of these is Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, which was just commemorated on Thursday, April 28th. This is a solemn day of remembrance in honor of the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust simply for being Jewish.

At 10:00 AM Israeli time, sirens sound throughout Israel for two minutes in honor of those who perished. While the sirens wail, the entire nation comes to a standstill. All vehicles and pedestrians stop in their tracks and everyone stands in silence for the entire two minutes. Ceremonies are held in various places, including at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Center in Jerusalem. Here is a picture of this year’s attendees standing for the siren in the Warsaw Square at Yad Vashem.

Yom HaShoah is a stark reminder of the tremendous cost of not having a Jewish State prior to the Holocaust, which demonstrated just how vulnerable Jews were in the diaspora before the existence of the State of Israel.

This coming Wednesday, May 4th, Israel will observe its second Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron. This is a somber day of remembrance of all those who have died in defense of the Jewish State and Israeli civilians murdered by terrorists. Commemoration ceremonies are held across the country and flags are lowered to half-mast.

Yom HaZikaron reminds Israelis of the cost of having their own state as they mourn the loss of those who have given their lives to protect their fellow citizens and innocent civilians murdered simply because they chose to live in the Jewish state.

The Consulate General of Israel to New England

has invited Christians and Jews United for Israel 

to join in their memorial ceremony

for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror

Please join CJUI for this solemn occasion 

Tuesday, May 3^rd at 8:00 PM 

Temple Israel 

477 Longwood Ave

Boston MA