Yom Hazikaron takes on new significance following attacks

JORDAN MOSHE

These are the words of late former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in response to a soldier who had suffered multiple losses. She was quoted by Joshua Winer, the chairperson of the Zionist Youth Council, at the Yom Hazikaron ceremony at Yeshiva College in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening.

Gathering in their numbers, the Johannesburg community paid tribute to those who gave their lives in defence of Israel.

This year’s ceremony took on additional significance in light of the approximately 700 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel this week. “This evening, we come together to remember and honour those who paid the ultimate price to ensure our beloved Israel continues to thrive and survive,” said Winer.

“Sadly, the sirens that sound in Israel calling all to attention on Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron are not the only ones [that have been] heard in recent days. Again, sirens are propelling Jews to shelters. Again, Jews are running for their lives. Pittsburgh, Poway, Ashdod, Sderot – Jews are dying simply because they are Jewish. Tonight not only serves to honour the fallen, but serves to build solidarity against those who seek to destroy us.”

Explaining why those who have fallen are seen as holy, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein said that holiness is about the capacity to give unconditionally. “G-d created human beings as an act of kindness only to give,” he said. “When we are called upon to be holy, we are to give of ourselves, to dedicate our lives to giving to the world and others selflessly.

“These souls who gave everything are indeed the holiest of us all. They gave of themselves to the point of sacrifice so that the Jewish people could continue to live in pride and dignity. That is holiness,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein asked how it was that thousands of soldiers gave their lives for Israel and its people, particularly since self-sacrifice doesn’t come naturally.

“A limited person has only himself in mind, but a greater person includes in his definition of self the other people around him,” he said. “A truly great person includes the entire Jewish people and all of humanity in himself. Holiness is a sense of expansion of self. For these soldiers, their sense of self was every Jew and Jewish destiny.”

Israeli ambassador Lior Keinan said that the number of losses continued to grow because of the commitment to Israel. “When I sat down to prepare my speech, the number of fallen soldiers and terror victims stood at 23 471. When I finished it, the number had gone up by four after we were attacked by hundreds of rockets fired by terrorists with only one purpose: to kill as many citizens of Israel as possible. That is the essence of the story, and destiny of the state of Israel.”

Keinan said that no nation in history had had to go through a struggle or journey like that of the Jews to establish a country. “Our journey was longer than any other, and did not end with the establishment of Israel. In our 71 years, we have learned that the existence of Israel is a daily battle.

“In South Africa, from the moment the struggle ended 25 years ago, its citizens have faced no external threat and could focus on rebuilding their country. No one wanted to drive them into the sea, no one wanted to shower them with rockets. Israel, however, hasn’t had a single day of peace since the moment it was recognised.”

Keinan concluded by expressing the hope that if our fallen were with us today, they would be proud of us. “Israel isn’t perfect,” he said, “but think about what it has accomplished in such a short time. The Jewish community here pays a price for its unwavering support, and I hope that you feel as proud of them as I believe they would be of us.”

In spite of the threats and anti-Semitism we face in South Africa for our support of Israel, our history of prevailing against the odds gives us the strength needed to persevere, said Ben Swartz, the national chairman of the South African Zionist Federation.

“We have and will continue to prevail. We have never ceased in our aspiration to take control of our destiny. Until the moment of peace arrives, we have a responsibility to protect ourselves against the hatred of who we are.”