LA JOLLA, California (Press Release)–Yom HaZikaron, the day Israel remembers its war dead and victims of terror, will be observed at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 18, at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla.
The free public event is sponsored by the Israel Center of United Jewish Federation of San Diego County.
During this somber day the entire nation of Israel and Jewish people in many corners of the world, remember and express their eternal gratitude to sons, daughters, parents and dear friends who gave their lives for Israel’s independence and its continued existence.
In Israel, Yom Hazikaron begins with the sound of sirens proclaiming a two-minute silence in which all activity, including traffic, ceases. Flags are flown at half mast and memorial ceremonies are held all over the country at cemeteries, memorials, public places, schools, youth movements and others.
In San Diego, this year’s theme, bravery, will be highlighted in every aspect of the ceremony. Del Mar resident, Yaron Abed, who recently returned after serving in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), will present personal stories of soldiers who died in the line of duty. The program will also feature two heart-wrenching films, three local choirs and several members of the community sharing their personal connection to Yom Hazikaron and speaking about their fallen loved ones.
The films are two short documentaries on the lives of IDF soldiers. A Hero in Heaven tells the story of Michael Levin, an American who immigrated to Israel to join the IDF and made the ultimate sacrifice for the Jewish State and the Jewish people. With All Your Soul is the story of Major Roi Klein who died sacrificing himself to save his soldiers, leaping onto a hand grenade in the second Lebanon war in 2006.
The choirs featured are The Women’s Choir of Beth El, the Beth Am Choir and the San Diego’s Havorat Hazemer.
This year, the theme of bravery extends even beyond soldiers of the IDF to San Diegans and all Americans who have died fighting for Israel. A special effort has been made to involve members of the San Diego Jewish Community who may never before have commemorated Yom Hazikaron.
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Preceding provided by the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County