On the eve Israel’s most somber and reflective day, the crowd of 7000 at Yad L’Shiryon in Latrun somehow felt intimate, engaged together in the solemn task of remembering the Jewish State’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
They were joined virtually by hundreds of thousands of viewers across the globe, along with major Jewish and U.S. Congressional leaders, as part of the largest English Yom HaZikaron ceremony in the world. The event is hosted every year by Masa Israel Journey, a long-term adult education program and part of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader of the U.S House of Representatives, laid one of the wreaths to honor the loss of life. He was joined at the event by 12 members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The ceremony featured, among others, the story of Second Lieutenant Carmi Elan z”l, a Los Angeles-born pilot who died at the young age of 19 due to injuries he received during a training accident.
“Carmi is our fourth son; our other three sons were also in combat units. We are proud of our children and all their choices. Carmi had a giving personality. Throughout his whole life, he always felt responsible for those around him. I remember Carmi every day, not just today. He is always with us,” said Tod Elan, father of Second Lieutenant Carmi Elan z”l.
The crowd listened intently to speeches from Jewish and Israeli government leaders.
“Yom HaZikaron, our Day of Remembrance, is an essential part of Israel and the Jewish people,” said Ofer Gutman, CEO of Masa Israel Journey. “At Masa is it extremely important to us that we recognize we are a forever connected people, and we must reflect on our journey. It makes us who we are. We must honor our fallen and we must mourn our losses. The individual stories shared here tonight are connected by the values of love, determination, sacrifice, and commitment. This ceremony is for us to focus on the heroes who gave their ‘last full measure of devotion’ – and they gave it to Israel. To the Jewish people.”
Other attendees and speakers included Mark Wilf, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, and Steven Lowy AM, Chairman of the World Board of Trustees of Keren Heysod-United Israel Appeal, Yossi Fuchs, Israeli Cabinet Secretary; Major General (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel; and Julie Platt, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America.
