Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Yom HaZikaron

The Remembrance Day for Israel’s soldiers started last night. The television screened footage documenting the all too short lives of many fallen heroes. We hear their families, friends and army colleagues describe them, bringing alive the video snippets and photos that we see on the screen. They talk about the special qualities and achievements of their loved ones, tears rolling down their cheeks.

We see vivacious, carefree teenagers and young people celebrating with friends and family at weddings, bar mitzvahs and on holiday. They paid the ultimate price to keep Israel safe.

They all died too young, denied further friendships, experiences, successes, children; denied a future, whatever that may have brought. Watching the footage and listening to the personal stories of one family after another is heartbreaking.

The scale of death from war after war can sometimes be hard to comprehend. Like the Holocaust, an enormity sometimes just too immense to fathom, the telling of individual stories is an effective way for us to be able to effectively mourn those who gave their lives so that we and our children can live in Israel today.

The sirens sound and we think of these brave young men and women. We say a prayer for them and hope, beyond hope, that our own children will have a future of peace and security.

Sharona B

www.judaicamosaica.com

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