Let me begin by saying that no one does a tekes (ceremony) like Israelis. They really know how to pull these programs together. From school programs to holidays they know what is going on. And for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) they really know how to make you feel all of the feels.
Yom HaShoah :
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this day. Growing up, I spent many years of Hebrew school hearing survivors speak to us. I watched many many many (too many for a kid) movies about the holocaust. And then I've spent the past number of years trying not to watch any movies or read any more holocaust books. It was just too much. But then a few years back, my kids started asking questions and so we had to start discussing it with them. And some of my kids had to do family interviews for various projects and they got to ask questions to the Great Aunt Lillian, who was our only link to that era in Europe.
Back to the present. Here in Israel, the while country celebrates together and mourns together. In the schools, there are programs for every event. So for Yom HaShoah, the kids all had various school programs to learn and to remember. And we had our first Yom HaShoah siren. In case you aren't familiar with it, it is a siren that rings out throughout the entire country. It is for a moment of silence for all of those that have passed away. In this case, in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust. I was at ulpan where they had a ceremony.
But let me dial it back to the night before. We attended a city ceremony at a nearby high school. We chose this one because all of our kids were attending it with their scout groups. I was blown away by how amazing this program was. It was all done by teenagers, 12th graders. They spoke, they sang, they played music. Really just so talented and poised. And serious. Teenagers here, overall, are just so mature. I realize that they have to be, given that they are all about to he drafted into the army. But it's really incredible to see.
Now let's skip ahead one week. Now we are at Yom HaZikaron, the memorial day for all those who have fallen in the military, in wars, and those who have been killed in terror attacks. During the night, our kids were attending the main town memorial ceremony with the scouts. So we walked down to the town amphitheater to attend the same ceremony. Let me just say, wow. Imagine thousands of people (I have no idea how many people, but a lot) all sitting and tons of groups of children sitting on the grass. And yet everyone is silent for the entire program.
This program was again done mostly by teenagers. They spoke and sang and played music. The Chief Rabbi of Israel (aka, my neighbor) spoke and told a really amazing story. He speaks so well and his Hebrew is very slow and clear. Suddenly I realized, wow, I understood almost everything that he said. The mayor (my bestie) was there, as were many others, to pay their respects to those who paved the way for us to live in safety and freedom.
Now the next day, my ulpan took a trip for Yom HaZikaron. We went on walk a few blocks through Tel Aviv, where I am studying, and we stood outside for the siren. This was my first time experiencing the siren outside during what was a fairly normal and bustling day in the city. When, just like I've always been told, everyone and everything stops while the siren sounds. You really need to see it to believe it.
Then, we did a tour of Independence Hall, where Ben Gurion declared Israel's statehood 69 years ago. I've been there before but it's always a great tour. And this time it was in Hebrew. Well, it was in Hebrew until there was arguing amongst the ulpan teachers and guide and then it was done half in English. Long story. But our guide was great, and I highly recommend it to everyone.
And off to the final leg of our journey: Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day! So many choices of what to do and where to go. Luckily, our children are here to guide our choices. Our eldest child's band was playing at one of the schools, so we headed there to hear him. And yay for us, because they were playing at a school very close by, because who wants to drive during the chaos of Yom HaAtzmaut??? Not me!!!
So we go, and we wait and wait and wait. There was some confusion as to which band was going on first. During our waiting, we were amused by the hordes of children in full Yom HaAtzmaut gear. Including my own children with bubble machines and gigantic blow up hammers.
And finally, after a school choir, a school band and one of the main entertainers for the night, my child's school band goes on. I'll have to embarrass him and say that they are just so adorable. They were so cute preparing to go on, with their matching shirts and all. And they were actually great, in my totally unbiased opinion.
But let's move onto the real miracle. One of the moms of a band mate comes over to me to introduce herself. And suddenly I hear myself speaking Hebrew to her, no problem. Okay, not exactly no problem, but it was good enough that she understood me and I didn't have a panic that someone was speaking to me. And of course, being Israeli, she wanted to make sure I had somewhere to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, or else she was going to invite me. Ahhhhh, Israel.
And the partying didn't end after the concert. No, then we joined our neighbors for a backyard BBQ extravaganza. Special hamburgers, kebabs, chicken, salads, fries, Israelis know how to throw a BBQ. But not just a BBQ. A BBQ where there is also a quiz show a with all questions from the Torah. Kids and adults alike were jumping to answer, some with more success than others. And the winners walked away with fabulous Yom HaAtzmaut swag. The party was still going strong after midnight when I finally had to leave. I can't keep up with the Israelis and their partying spirit. I need sleep!
The next day, I had big plans to go to an Air Force base. But to do that, you need to leave your house by 7am. Long story short, no one was awake before 9:30am. So instead, we stayed home, did our own little BBQ and has friends over to roast marshmallows over the fire pit that we finally unpacked. And I got oddly addicted to watching the real Tanach quiz on television. Those kids are really amazing. And two hailed from Teaneck, the place where we never wanted to live, but always wanted to take advantage of the amenities.
Let me sum it up. Israelis know how to commemorate and celebrate. They take things seriously, because life here isn't like life anywhere else. They seem to really appreciate the sacrifices and struggles of those who helped to build this country and of those who died before their time. And then, they know how to celebrate. The sheer number of flags is awesome. It seems like on Yom HaAtzmaut, the country is filled with the sound of flapping car flags and the small of campfires from all of the bbqing.
can't see the videos :(
ReplyDeleteThanks Robyn. I think I fixed it.
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