In the modern Hebrew calendar, there are two days that are inseparable, bound together by a thin, invisible thread: Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism and Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day.For us, as a Zionist school here in Australia, these are not merely dates on a calendar. They are the backbone of our identity as Jews living out of Israel, yet whose hearts beat in unison with it.Yom HaZikaron is a day of national unity. It is a time when an entire country and an entire nation across the globe comes to a standstill to honour those who paid the ultimate price with their lives, falling in Israel’s wars or at the hands of terrorists in cruel acts of terror. On this day, bereavement is not the private domain of the families of the fallen alone; it is the shared pain of an entire nation.

Why do we, here on the other side of the world, observe this day with such profound reverence?

The security we feel as Jews anywhere in the world rests upon the existence of a strong and free Jewish state. The fallen whom we remember today did not die merely to defend Israel’s geographic borders; they fell to defend the Jewish people wherever they may be. They were the protective shield that allows us, here in Australia, to live with our heads held high and with a proud Jewish identity.Yom HaZikaron carries a complex message. On one hand, we confront the terrible pain. The loss of human life is a tragedy beyond words, and every name added to the list of the fallen is an entire world cut short. We must remember the faces, the names, and the dreams that will never be realized.

On the other hand, we salute their strength and heroism. It is the fallen who, in their deaths, commanded us to live. Their bravery is what makes the continued existence of the State of Israel possible. The sharp transition at sunset, as Yom HaZikaron ends and the celebrations of Yom HaAtzmaut begin, teaches us a vital life lesson, our independence is not a given. It was granted to us through blood, through soul-searching devotion, and through an infinite love for our people and our land.On this day, our school community stands at attention. Every year, we hold a memorial ceremony: we light memorial candles for the family members and friends who was killed, we read the life stories of the fallen, we sing songs of remembrance, and we offer prayers in memory of the fallen and for the peace of the soldiers and the State of Israel, and send a comforting embrace to the bereaved families in Israel. We are promising that the memory of the fallen will remain alive in our hearts forever.

‍Hani Ron, Hebrew Learning Area Leader Sr School