Israeli Independence In Israel

Shoshanah Kaplowitz (SK): What do you do on Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel?

Sarit Grunwald (SG): The night of Yom Ha'atzmaut coming right off Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance for the soldiers, there is a special ceremony with the Prime Minister in Jerusalem to start off the day.

In Lod where I live, to start the festivities we daven Maariv with a special Hallel, which includes lots of singing and instruments. Everyone wears blue and white, and people will wear flags or carry one on them. During the night, there are carnivals and everyone comes together to celebrate Independence day. For dinner most people, including my family, eat falafel and other classic Israeli foods. There are usually fireworks going off through the night and a very long firework show that everyone watches.

The celebrations continue into the day when we daven the morning prayers with special prayers for Yom Ha’atzmaut. In the morning around eleven o'clock, they start the national Chidon HaTanach competition, which is a big event and national watch party, similar to the Superbowl in America. Otherwise, many people will go on trips and hike. Everyone in Israel takes off work and school on Yom Ha'atzmaut, so they can enjoy the day to its fullest. In the evening, the Prime Minister has a televised event where he gives out the Prizes of Israel, which is a very important event, where prizes are given to Israelis who do great things. On Yom Ha'atzmaut people come together, do barbeques, and just come to enjoy time together and celebrate the creation of Israel for Jews.

SK: What is the atmosphere like on Yom Ha'atzmaut? What are the general feelings that are going around on Yom Ha'atzmaut?

SG: Everyone is filled with an indescribable amount of happiness on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Everyone is filled with a great amount of pride in Israel and gratitude for the country. It's very hard to describe the feelings that people have on Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel because they are so intense.

SK: What do you think people will do here in Memphis, or America as a whole, to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut?

SG: I think that it will be hard to have a meaningful Yom Ha'atzmaut in America because it is the day after Yom Hazikaron, so people will just make it the same day and not celebrate it as a special event itself. I hope that this Yom Ha'atzmaut will be meaningful for all the Jews in Memphis, and not just the Jews in the Orthodox community, because I want all the Jews in Memphis to see that Israel was made for all types of Jews to come together. I hope that all the Jews in Memphis will be able to connect to Israel this Yom Ha'atzmaut and feel connected to the Jews in Israel.