Yom Ha’atzmaut from Afar
Each year, the people of Israel commemorate three holidays that highlight the fragility and the resilience of the Jewish people: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), which starts Sunday, May 5th at sundown; Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day), which starts Sunday, May 12th at sundown; and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), which starts on Monday, May 13th at sundown. Each of these are opportunities for Israelis and Jewish people around the world to gather to mourn, remember, and look forward.
I understand it may be challenging to envision a celebration, here or in Israel, for Yom Ha’aztmaut. This has been a painful and frightening year for everyone in the region and Jews all around the world. You might consider it a time to send more love to the people of Israel, or connecting with Israel’s culture through learning, reading, listening, discussing, tasting, dancing, creating, and celebrating the wonderful things about a land that we hope will see peace very soon. PJ Library’s Israel Hub will continue to be filled with resources to help families do all of this. You can also find a local event for the “Yomim” (the collective term for the three holidays) on our PJ Library events page.
Our hearts ache for all the innocent lives affected by this war. Your April PJ book included some resources for talking about Israel with your children in this time of crisis and beyond. If you would like more copies of this resource to share with teachers and others, please email me.
B’shalom (in peace),
Sarah