The siren is one of the most bone-chilling experiences. It's not just like a car alarm siren. It's a combination of one long unending siren with added sirens on top of it. As a seven-year-old child, I still remember being petrified. As a adult, it sends a chill through my bones and my stomach clenches. Even more symbolic is that every person is Israel is standing still and listening to the same siren and remembering those in their lives that have fallen.
After the siren, there are readings and quotes and a walk through the memorial corner where children put roses on the posters of those friends of the kibbutz that have fallen in war or in terror. The following day is pretty sombre, marked again by another siren at 11:00 am and another memorial that night.
On the night before Yom Ha'Atzmaot- or Independence Day- which is the same day as Yom Ha'Zikaron (can you keep this all straight????), we all got together at Amir and Dalia's house for coffee, tea and fruit salad before the memorial. Since I don't think I've done so yet, let me identify the family. Back row (L-R): Maya (fourth cousin on my grandfather's side but we ignore the fourth part- she's family), Abba, Saba Aharon, me, Dalia, Noam, Liron, Amir. Front row: Guy on the left and Ofek on the right. Love them.
The memorial ceremony was similar to the night before, this time without the siren. There were many readings about fallen friends and family and we stood up to sing "Hatikvah" at the end. The seriousness of the night was slightly marred by this hysterical old man sitting behind us who kept saying "the crowd is asked the rise.... the crowd is asked to sit...." after each part of the ceremony. But he was right because at the end of the ceremony, the lights just came on, no one mentioned anything, and people went to eat. Sababa.We enjoyed the usual kibbutz BBQ fare- falafel, hot dogs, salad, pitas, "lachmanias", Israeli capri suns, the usual. Brought me back to first grade and living on the kibbutz. There was a lot of mingling, I saw some friends from first grade and we chatted, the family all hung out and there was a lot of "simcha and sasson".
While we were eating, some people were changing the stage from sombre to festive, taking down the black cloth and putting up big flowers. Eventually, the happy show of the night began. This really brought me back to first grade and I felt better about taking pictures, since it wasn't a serious affair. The first part was actually a surprise- they called Saba Aharon up to the stage, said a lot of very sweet things about him and gave him flowers. Just one of the many good wishes he has gotten since winning Pras Israel.
Of course there was a lot of dancing....
there were skits... including the most awkward Romeo and Juliet moment of the night... :) (PS- "Juliet" was one of the staff members in charge of the after school hangout place I'd go to in first grade)...
Dalia and friends sang "Shir Ha Shalom"...
more music....
more dancing....
and then FIRE.Now, I don't really understand the idea behind this. The high school aged students put together these big contraptions of wood that they either carried or had hauled on tractors. On each wooden contraption was a phrase- something about Israel and Independence, something about Gilad Shalit, other things that were kind of hard to read. The picture doesn't do it justice but it was pretty incredible. Although I was nervous that the kibbutz was going to go up in smoke.
After the "Esh", we immediately ran to the hill to find a good spot for the fireworks. This is our fireworks waiting face :)
I have never been so close to fireworks before in my life. One time I legitimately ducked and flinched because I felt it was about to explode in front of my face. We always knew the show was still going because we could see the man running to and fro on the roof of the dining hall, lighting the fireworks and then racing away. Absolutely incredible.
Happy 62nd Birthday, Eretz Israel! Here's to 62+62+62+62 more until infinity!
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