Israel's National Mourning Memorial Day, One People

Growing up in Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, NY, post-World War Two I don't remember anything about Memorial Day, except that it was a long weekend. Here in Israel it's a day of National Mourning, and even young children are exposed to the "nasty fact" that there is evil and people die.

As a child I knew very well that people die. Between the ages of almost three and three and a half, I had lost both maternal grandparents and an uncle. I have strong memories of those grandparents. Then when I was about twelve another uncle died, but none of them died in battle, nor did I grow up hearing anything about the Nazis or the Holocaust.

Life in Israel is rooted in reality. Children are taken to funerals, cemeteries and memorial ceremonies. They are taught about real people who had been killed fighting for Israel's independence and continued existence. They are taught about real people of all ages murdered by Arab terrorists.

Today is a day of national mourning for the soldiers and victims of terror attacks,  Soldiers and Terror Victims Memorial Day. Last night I ended up attending a very moving, well produced ceremony in Jerusalem. I missed being home in Shiloh, where most of the stories would be about people I had known. But instead of feeling like an outsider, attending that Jerusalem ceremony just reminded me how we are one nation, one people, one family.

If You Haven't Yet Heard It...

Being interviewed early in the morning. I got dressed,
but slippers still on. Photo by Yisrael Medad

Yesterday morning I was interviewed by Tamar Yonah about the terror attack in which I was injured over twenty years ago. It's strange how when I begin talking about it, it seems like it just happened to me. Does that come through in the interview?

Click here for the show.  And then I'd love to hear your reactions and comments, thanks.

Yes, it was a phone interview.

In The Eyes of a Victim, Never The Same

No one is immune from Arab terrorism here, just like even the most successful and assimilated Jews in Germany ended up being rounded up and murdered by the Nazis.

There's a very successful bargain-price chain optician in Israel, Halperin.

The early ads for it showed the elderly Rabbi Rafael Halperin who established it doing a loud karate chop to "break the prices."

Halperin was a champion weightlifter and the national karate champion. He also did well as a boxer before turning to wrestling. (Jerusalem Post)

Rabbi Halperin's great-granddaughter was murdered in a recent terror attack, so whenever I see his business's sign, I think of that.

Chaye Zisel Braun is an American citizen, and the great-granddaughter of the late Rabbi Rafael Halperin.

Time Doesn't Heal

Yesterday was Israel's Memorial Day for Soldiers and Victims of  Arab Terror.  Whatever scabs or scar tissue had been covering the emotional wounds from the loss of friends and family was ripped away.  My neighbors and I, although comforted by seeing the young grandchildren, nieces and nephews of those good Jews who were killed, agreed that we felt more pain than ever.

Time doesn't heal.

Time just gives us the chance to try to live better, be inspired by those who are no longer with us, who died so young...

We live in the shadows of the loss.

Just like we can't erase a shadow, we can't ignore the memories and longings that follow us even at the most unexpected times. 

Most of those we commemorated at our Shiloh Memorial Ceremony in the local cemetery were just teenagers when they were murdered.  Other were a young mother and an infant.  They all had such potential, such dreams.  And in a matter of seconds, their lives were over, and everything changed irreparably for their parents, spouse, grandparents, siblings, friends and family.

Memorial ceremony at Mt. Herzl
for a friend.

Yes, of course, we all go on.  Nobody stays static in time.  Widows and widowers marry again; more children may be born, but that doesn't make up for the missing person.  Life adapts to a new normal.  Thank G-d for giving us the strength and drive to keep going.  We are supposed to continue and not wallow in pain and misery.

Jewish History is full of destruction, defeat and disasters.  And there is also the rebuilding.

We're supposed to take those memories and the pain and make something better and stronger.  That's why the Jewish People continues to exist, even now, two thousand years after the destruction of our Second Holy Temple.  The ancient civilizations we fought with and even those that defeated us are gone, but we Jews still live and thrive and have established a modern  State of Israel.

For the Jewish People, "not healing" is not the end of the world.  We take our pain and build something better, with G-d's help.  And as we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzma'ut, we bring those memories with us to celebrate together.

One of The Most Dramatic Scenes In The Bible

1 Samuel Chapter 15
כג כִּי חַטַּאת-קֶסֶם מֶרִי, וְאָוֶן וּתְרָפִים הַפְצַר: יַעַן, מָאַסְתָּ אֶת-דְּבַר יְהוָה, וַיִּמְאָסְךָ, מִמֶּלֶךְ. {ס} 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.' {S}
כד וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל-שְׁמוּאֵל חָטָאתִי, כִּי-עָבַרְתִּי אֶת-פִּי-יְהוָה וְאֶת-דְּבָרֶיךָ: כִּי יָרֵאתִי אֶת-הָעָם, וָאֶשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם. 24 And Saul said unto Samuel: 'I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words; because I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice.
כה וְעַתָּה, שָׂא נָא אֶת-חַטָּאתִי; וְשׁוּב עִמִּי, וְאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַיהוָה. 25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.'
כו וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל-שָׁאוּל, לֹא אָשׁוּב עִמָּךְ: כִּי מָאַסְתָּה, אֶת-דְּבַר יְהוָה, וַיִּמְאָסְךָ יְהוָה, מִהְיוֹת מֶלֶךְ עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל. {ס} 26 And Samuel said unto Saul: 'I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.' {S}
כז וַיִּסֹּב שְׁמוּאֵל, לָלֶכֶת; וַיַּחֲזֵק בִּכְנַף-מְעִילוֹ, וַיִּקָּרַע. {ס} 27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. {S}
כח וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, שְׁמוּאֵל, קָרַע יְהוָה אֶת-מַמְלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ, הַיּוֹם; וּנְתָנָהּ, לְרֵעֲךָ הַטּוֹב מִמֶּךָּ. {ס} 28 And Samuel said unto him: 'The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. {S}
כט וְגַם נֵצַח יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם: כִּי לֹא אָדָם הוּא, לְהִנָּחֵם. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.'
ל וַיֹּאמֶר חָטָאתִי--עַתָּה כַּבְּדֵנִי נָא נֶגֶד זִקְנֵי-עַמִּי, וְנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְשׁוּב עִמִּי, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֵיתִי לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 30 Then he said: 'I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.'
לא וַיָּשָׁב שְׁמוּאֵל, אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל; וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ שָׁאוּל, לַיהוָה. {ס} 31 So Samuel returned after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. {S}
לב וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל, הַגִּישׁוּ אֵלַי אֶת-אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ עֲמָלֵק, וַיֵּלֶךְ אֵלָיו, אֲגַג מַעֲדַנֹּת; וַיֹּאמֶר אֲגָג, אָכֵן סָר מַר-הַמָּוֶת. {ס} 32 Then said Samuel: 'Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.' And Agag came unto him in chains. And Agag said: 'Surely the bitterness of death is at hand.' {S}
לג וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל--כַּאֲשֶׁר שִׁכְּלָה נָשִׁים חַרְבֶּךָ, כֵּן-תִּשְׁכַּל מִנָּשִׁים אִמֶּךָ; וַיְשַׁסֵּף שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת-אֲגָג לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, בַּגִּלְגָּל. {ס} 33 And Samuel said: As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. {S}
לד וַיֵּלֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵל, הָרָמָתָה; וְשָׁאוּל עָלָה אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.
לה וְלֹא-יָסַף שְׁמוּאֵל לִרְאוֹת אֶת-שָׁאוּל, עַד-יוֹם מוֹתוֹ, כִּי-הִתְאַבֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל, אֶל-שָׁאוּל; וַיהוָה נִחָם, כִּי-הִמְלִיךְ אֶת-שָׁאוּל עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל. {פ} 35 And Samuel never beheld Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul; and the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel. {P}

There's just so much power struggle and action to this, and the use of pronouns in verse 27 makes it most interesting. I had always envisioned the deposed King Saul pathetically grabbing Samuel's robe, like Potifor's wife grabbed Joseph's. But just now as I look at it, I see that Samuel most probably ripped his own robe as a sign of mourning. It's very much like the ancient custom of parents mourning their child as dead if the child had married a non-Jew.

Shabbat Zachor, the special, pre-Purim Sabbath we're commanded to remember what Amalek did to us... and still does... is a very special Shabbat for me. Thirteen years ago I was injured in a terror attack, when an Arab terrorist drove into a few dozen of us who were waiting for a bus or ride. It happened the week before Purim. So the very next Shabbat, the Shabbat before Purim, Shabbat Zachor, we had a massive gathering for Seudat Shlishit, the third Shabbat meal, in Shiloh. Other neighbors had been waiting at the bus stop, but I was the only one injured.

So this is the time of the year my mind is very occupied with Amalek. I'll post more on Shiloh Musings.

Good News Update: Moshe Avitan (Moshe Rafael ben Aliza A'isha)

Baruch Hashem, thank G-d. Read the latest letter from Moshe's mother-in-law.

Dear Relatives and Friends,

Moshe, thank G-d, is home!!! He was released from the hospital this afternoon.

Of course, lots of checkups, therapy etc. are still ahead of him (and therapy for Sarah and probably their daughters) but I'm sure that getting home will be a big boost to their morale.

I will probably not be sending daily updates from now on but I'll keep you posted every few days or when there's anything new to report. In the meantime, keep up the prayers please!!

All the best,

Ruth

As a "good news-bad news" scenario, Israel has an awful lot of experience with helping terror victims, including families. It's understood that the secondary and tertiary victims can be just as affected. There are government and "non-prophet" agencies and organizations which help. And of course there are neighbors and relatives, especially in the case of Moshe and Sarah, thank G-d.