On Israel’s Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron, Congregation B’nai Tzedek will screen a documentary and discuss the unfolding tragedy of the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7.
That is just one new and sobering way that local Jewish organizations and synagogues will commemorate Yom Hazikaron, which honors victims of terrorism and the soldiers who gave their lives in defense of the state of Israel.
The Conservative synagogue in Potomac will also hold a remembrance ceremony led by Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt and Cantor Marshall Kapell.
Though there are differing dates for local commemorations, Yom Hazikaron on the Hebrew calendar begins at sundown on Sunday, May 12, and ends at nightfall on Monday, May 13. Yom Ha’atzmaut begins at sundown on Monday, May 13, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, May 14.
There will be celebrations throughout the DMV area of Israel Independence Day. Yom Ha’atzmaut commemorates the establishment of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.
Ido Naaman, the Israeli shaliach (emissary) at B’nai Tzedek, said he will share stories of friends and acquaintances who have been killed in the war against Hamas. He was called up to fight in Israel in October and came back in December.
“We all feel that in those days, especially after Oct. 7, we all need to be focused on hope, keep doing what we’re doing and keep being proud of Jews in Israel and here in America,” Naaman said.
The Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration at B’nai Tzedek will feature Israeli food and Israeli music, arts and crafts for children and an educational program for teens and adults about “our connection to Israel,” Naaman said.
“It’s important to show up and honor those who have dedicated their lives to the state of Israel and observe this special memorial day,” said Lesley Levin, director of programming and engagement at B’nai Tzedek. Of Yom Ha’atzmaut, she added, “We do want to celebrate the love that everybody has for Israel.”
Dean Bagdadi, the shaliach at the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, said that commemorating Yom Hazikaron carries a heavier weight this year as Jewish people grapple with the loss of countless individuals and deal with the pain felt by their families.
“How do you make that shift from commemorating loss to celebrating independence? Yom Hazikaron is a very somber, solemn day,” Bagdadi said. “A lot of us lost people that we know, and this day is an opportunity to commemorate them while also remembering that this is a sacrifice to be grateful for so we could have security, a country and a future.”
Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax will host a communitywide commemoration of 76 years of Israel’s independence on Sunday, May 19. The event, which is also sponsored by the Pozez JCC, will feature speakers, live Israeli music, food and educational programs.
Bagdadi served in the Israel Defense Forces during Israel’s military operation in Gaza in 2016. “I saw some things that will affect me for the rest of my life. Yom Hazikaron has always been that opportunity for me to allow that to emerge, to surface, to give that
more room.”
“It’s not a political day,” he added. “It’s our opportunity to focus on what we have lost. During Oct. 7, we were all horrified and shocked by the attack that made 1,200 new victims of terror.”
There will be enhanced security amid the surge of antisemitic incidents. “These are big public events for the Jewish community, and we want to make sure that people feel safe,” Bagdadi said.
Washington Hebrew Congregation, a Reform synagogue, commemorates Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut at services through music by Israeli composers and poetry by Israeli authors. “We really try to give each of the holidays their due,” said Cantor Susan Bortnick. Starting with Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), “it takes us through the timeline of how Israel was created.”
Several Jewish organizations, including Washington Hebrew Congregation and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, are sponsoring a communitywide Yom Ha’atzmaut festival and concert at the Conservative Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase on Tuesday, May 14. Yonina, an Israeli American musical duo, will perform.
The Bender JCC in Rockville has a series of events planned which are connected to Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. “We’re making sure there are opportunities for people to learn and explore their relationship with Israel,” said CEO Josh Bender. “We’re going to give participants a chance to mark the seriousness of the moment, the challenges that Israel is facing right now. I think it’s a moment of solidarity for the community to come together and at the same time recognize the moment that we’re in.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer.