Yom Hazikaron- A day of remembering… if you think about it, it’s a strange concept. I mean, it’s a healthy and connecting process, but daunting at the same time.
We remember the fallen soldiers and victims of terror attacks every year. People all over the world gather to remember and “never forget”, giving each person and story the respect they deserve.
“To remember” means that you make a point to yourself, as if it is something that isn’t in your consciousness every day. In this case you take a day (which in fact is not that much) to reflect on and dedicate to your loved one or to support the families of the fallen – the people that have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
But is that really the case? Did these people make the choice to be sacrificed? Maybe our society and government made this decision for them. It seems to me that we are remembering (commemorating) people to respect them but at the same time we are encouraging and supporting this endless circle of death…
I wonder if this day is primarily for the families of the fallen. It seems to me that if a family suffered through this kind of tragedy they are surely dealing with it on a daily basis, so perhaps this is a day for the nation to collectively support these families. Or is it a way for us to feel better about the deaths of thousands?
We keep adding names to the list of deceased instead of using these days of remembrance to try and understand how to prevent the end of the next innocent life.
If Israel struggles with death it’s clear to me that all sides involved in this conflict are also dealing with the sadness and bitterness that death brings. Death is a difficult thing worldwide and we all deal with it, may it be diseases, wars, traffic accidents etc. I would expect humanity to do everything in our power to prevent every single “unnecessary” death.
But is remembering changing or improving anything? Are we learning and developing from these commemoration days and getting smarter about the situation? How can we move on if we have a national alarm clock reminding us that the country is built on death?
My words and ideas might be harsh and provoking, but that’s what “Shmoozify” is about, isn’t it?!
P.S
When my father read this he wrote back to me with these words…
“We remember those who died by living lives for the souls of those whose lives were cut short. Just like a pregnant mother eats for both her and her yet unborn child, so too should we resolve to live our lives for more than ourselves, for those whom we are remembering.”
Though sad and moved by the tragedies we have endured to make Israel our homeland, I believe Israeli society glorifies death for nationalist reasons as a way of justifying some – not all- political decisions that I strongly disagree with. Fostering willingness to sacrifice one’s life promotes the ongoing conflict our country has endured though our leaders (?) could and should have figured out by now how to live peacefully with our neighbors. before you were born I was sure there would be peace and that you and your sibs would never have to serve in the IDF. I believe that many politicians and Israeli officials are satisfied with the status quo and are willing to pay the price of young people dying. where has it gotten us?