Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut

After enjoying a break to celebrate Pesach, everyone returned to their program; either Machon or Boneh. Shortly following the break were some of the most important days in the Israeli calendar; Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), followed a week later by Yom Hazikaron (Fallen Soldiers and Vicitims of Acts of Terror Memorial Day), and the next day, Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day). While many chanichim may have participated in ceremonies for any of these commemorative days at home in Australia, none of it is quite the same in Israel.

For Yom HaShoah all of the chanichim met at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai in the south of the country for a tekkes (ceremony) at the Kibbutz, named after Mordechai Anielewicz, a Ghetto fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from HaShomer HaTza'ir youth movement. This is one of a number of national ceremonies and included songs, pictures, and testomnies from survivors of the Holocaust.

The following week on Yom HaZikaron, each of the Machon and Boneh chanichim were invited to participate in helping bereved families remember their loved ones as the sirens sounded around the country for a moment of silence. On Kibbutz Revivim, the Boneh chanichim went to the cemetery with kibbutznikim and handed out flowers to adorn graves of fallen soldiers from the kibbutz. The Machon chanichim were invited to participate in the same activity at Har Herzl (Mt Herzl in Jerusalem), with sister youth movement HaNoar HaOved v'HaLomed chanichim who are the same age and live in Jerusalem as well.

After the Yom HaZikaron commemorations were completed, everyone had the afternoon off and the following day to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel with family or friends. Having this time allowed for a personal experience of the day and probably helped many chanichim consider the bittersweet reality of a transition from grief to joy as Israelis mourn their lost and then celebrate becoming an independent state. This is often difficult content to comprehend and can be quite a complex emotional experience, so each kvutzah spent the prior Yom Kvutzah (group day) with their madrichim (guides) preparing for these experiences and deepening their understanding of these very important days in the modern Jewish calendar.

Boneh chanichim on Yom HaZikaron at Kibbutz Revivim