We made a quick stop at the memorial outside of the Dolphinarium (which is in view from my hotel room and set to be demolished soon) to open the discussion of the significance of the remembrance of the 23,320 victims of terror and soldiers, who have lost their lives on this day of remembrance, Yom Hazikaron. In 2001, on a Friday night 21 youths/young adults were killed in an explosion at the Dolphinarium during the second Intifada. They had simply gone out for the evening to dance with friends, and never came home.
We followed this with a cemetery visit, which is a typical Israeli activity on this day (generally to the grave of someone they knew who was killed fighting for Israel or in an act of terror). I was comforted to learn that there are soldiers assigned to visit the graves of other soldiers whose lives have been lost so that no soldier's grave is left alone on this day, and families have support as they remember their lost soldiers.
At 11am the air raid sirens blared for 2 minutes, and the entire country stopped in its tracks to honor the fallen in a moment of silence. From our street corner location, we watched as cars stopped in the middle of the road, people got out to stand and honor, everything and everyone froze. It was an unforgettable moment to witness, and certainly makes me consider how we commemorate our lost soldiers on Memorial Day in the US. It amazes me the way in which Israelis come together in such a sense of collective mourning - something we witnessed last night in Rabin Square as well, when during some of the more emotional songs you could see the entire crowd of thousands of people crying and somber.
We spent some time today going through the Rabin Museum, which ties much of the more recent history of Israel and its fight for Independence and peace together in a way that neatly connects much of the context we've been given from our incredible guide over the last few days.
Having the understanding of all this context and history truly helps me to
appreciate the manner in which Israelis connect to their history, their memories, and how they live their lives - truly appreciating each and every day. They really do "remember the past, live in the present, and trust the future".
After standing in Rabin Square last night for the Erev Yom Hazikaron ceremony, and learning more about assassination of Yitzhak Rabin there in 1995, it takes on an entirely different and immensely stronger significance to return there tonight for the transition to Yom Ha'atzmaut, celebrating Israel's Independence Day. Donniel Hartman wrote, "We chose the path of recommitment to life, its challenges, opportunities and responsibilities...This is the real meaning of Yom Haatzmaut following both Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron...Israel must be that which remembers, and through that memory constantly commands itself to be worthy of the price we paid. "
This was entirely obvious as we watched the mood turn, almost on a dime from somber to celebratory tonight on Erev Yom Haatzmaut, with fireworks, silly string fights and dancing in the square and the streets of Tel Aviv - the lively Israeli collective spirit shines through particularly bright on this day.