Convention – The World Zionist Organization continues its participation in the production of the annual convention for Holocaust Memorial and Martyrs’ Day at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. This year, the event also marked the first instance of any large public gathering in the western Negev since the black Shabbat on October 7, when the kibbutzim of the western Negev found themselves under an attack of unprecedented dimensions. The scope of the ceremony was expanded beyond commemoration and memorial of the Shoah to incorporate the heroic stand of all the residents of the western Negev, local volunteer guard units and defense forces who fought in this region. The first large public event in over seven months, it drew over 2,000 local residents. The Head of Department for Social Activism and Tikkun Olam addressed the convention, which was livestreamed from the department’s Facebook page as well as on Israel Channel 13 TV.
Yom HaShoah Memorial at Home – Under the umbrella of these informal, home-based memorial gatherings, a few significant and special events took place under World Zionist Organization auspices:
On the eve of Yom HaShoah, a huge Zikaron BaSalon event took place for the second consecutive year at a Tel Aviv synagogue, attended by approximately 800 English-speaking young adults and teens, and the President of the World Zionist Organization. Those present heard firsthand testimony by Holocaust survivor Avraham Roth, who was also given the honor of inscribing a letter in a new Torah scroll.
A Zikaron BaSalon encounter with a Holocaust survivor was organized for students in Netivot. The survivor shared the story of how his father fled from the Nazis, escaping by the skin of his teeth. The event was part of a more extensive, ongoing program of activities in conjunction with the Centers for Social Activism, to assist in the rehabilitation of cities on the frontline.
Another special encounter was arranged for students evacuees from Tel Hai living in central Israel, where they met with World Zionist Organization president, Ms. Tova Dorfman, who led the Yom HaShoah activity and shared her second generation story as the daughter of Holocaust survivor parents.
Zikaron BaSalon evenings in the Diaspora – This year, in conjunction with the Zikaron BaSalon Trust, the World Zionist Organization’s departments distributed hands-on educational kits to enable Diaspora Jewish communities to model similar encounters in informal surroundings. These free, ready-to-print concept kits walked them through the entire process from the decision about hosting an informal encounter to the program’s content and dynamics.
Zikaron BaSalon evenings in other communities – For the second consecutive year, the Unit for Special and Torani Tracks at the Israel Ministry of Defense and the Zikaron BaSalon Trust cooperated in the organization of memorial encounters with Holocaust survivors for approximately ten Hareidi educational institutions.
On Yom HaShoah and over the course of that week, there were a number of screenings of the film, which was produced by the Department for Israel and Holocaust Commemoration.
On the eve of Yom HaShoah, the film was broadcast on Israel Channel 13 TV.
In the Mevasseret Zion Reform community, the film was shown during an encounter, followed by a riveting dialogue with Dan Wolman, the producer, and Prof. Varda Gross-Tsur, a pediatric neurologist.
In the “Inclu” community, an online Zikaron BaSalon encounter was held for the staff of their inclusive schools and kindergartens. The film screening was followed by a dialogue with producer Dan Wolman.
The World Zionist Organization arranged a special workshop for high school students on the Sela Program, who arrived in Israel some seven months previously as olim from the CIS (FSU). The workshop was held shortly before Yom HaShoah and afforded the teenagers insights into prewar Jewish life in Vilna, which was a major center of Jewish learning and culture in eastern Europe, with a thriving and creative Jewish community. The workshop was conducted in small groups, to enable the students to participate actively in the discussion.
Distribution of Memorial Candles – The World Zionist Organization, in conjunction with the Zionist Council in Israel, distributed hundreds of memorial candles to communities in Israel, imprinted with the names of Shoah victims who died without issue, for lighting on the eve of Yom HaShoah. The campaign was organized and candles were distributed by local coordinators from the Zionist Council in Israel, Tzameret National Service volunteers and students at the Ami-Chai Military Preparatory Academy.
The World Zionist Organization Antisemitism Report was published ahead of Yom HaShoah, disclosing highly disturbing data: over 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been documented worldwide since the outbreak of war on October 7. Over the last four months of 2023, there was an escalation of 630% in the number of hate incidents against Jews, by comparison with the same period in 2021. November 2023 accounted for the most antisemitic incidents while April 2024 being the second highest month. The Head of Department for Combating Antisemitism participated in several Knesset debates initiated by the State Comptroller’s Committee and the Committee for Diaspora Affairs, where she presented the report data.
The Head of Department for Combating Antisemitism addressed a special testimony tribunal dedicated to the perpetuation of Holocaust memorial, before hundreds of high school alumni and a group of Holocaust survivors. In her remarks, she reiterated the crucial importance of a concerted program and measures to combat Antisemitism, in light of the spiraling nature and number of incidents as well as the challenges represented by the new Antisemitism, as disseminated via social media.
Israel Memorial Day for the Fallen & Victims of Terror – A joint Yom Hazikaron memorial ceremony with the Jewish Agency for Israel was held on the forecourt of the National Institutions building in Jerusalem, including a special commemoration for lone soldiers – young men and women who came on Aliyah without their families and fell on active service during the “Iron Swords” war.
The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization represented the organization at official public ceremonies on Yom Hazikaron – Israel Memorial Day for the Fallen and the Victims of Terrorism. He attended the national memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl, where he laid the World Zionist Organization’s memorial wreath to IDF soldiers who have fallen in defense of the State of Israel and victims of terror in Israel and in the Diaspora.
This project centers on walking tour experiences that teach about Israel’s hiking trails as well as connecting participants to key spiritual values through the personal stories of those who fell, and the values they fought for in defense of Israel. The project’s activity is focused on the period between Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron, known in Israel as “Heroism week.” During this week, the project organizes special guided tours all over Israel, led by IDF Generals (past and present) and representatives of bereaved families, who facilitate values-based dialogues in order to create a sense of unity and greater closeness appropriate to this period of memorial and renewal. This year, a daily central event was held in Israel’s south-western border region: each incorporating a tour and a remembrance ceremony, with a parallel focus on those who lost their lives during the “Iron Swords” war and the narrative of the Gaza border region. The week concluded with a special tour in the footsteps of the fallen on Mount Herzl, followed by a meeting with the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization.
In preparation for Yom Hazikaron - the Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Hostile Acts in Israel and the Diaspora, the World Zionist Organization, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Diaspora and the Ruderman Foundation, have come together to promote a unique initiative of holding memorial ceremonies in Jewish communities worldwide. In this framework, content, prayers, reading material, personal stories and songs were collected and distributed through one link, to allow the memorial ceremonies to be held according to the needs and choices of each community.
To mark Yom Hazikaron - Israel Memorial Day for the Fallen and Victims of Terror – a booklet was produced with ideas for home-based, informal group commemoration encounters with a member of a bereaved family. These resources offer collections of materials in commemoration of the fallen, such as their favorite songs and recipes, with guidelines for open-ended discussions on issues related to memorial. The booklet has been distributed to hundreds of Jewish communities and shlichim worldwide, enabling poignant, small group memorial encounters for community members in private homes, thanks to the generosity of dozens of host families.
For the fourth consecutive year, dozens of MemoRun meets were coordinated worldwide to commemorate members of the IDF and Israel security services who have fallen on active service, and the victims of terror. The first running event that took place in Israel was dedicated to memories of Staff Sgt Adi Leon, son of Amir Leon, and Daniel Perez, son of Rabbi Doron Perez. Dozens of staff and members of the Executive attended and paid their respects to the fallen, through their participation in the run, which started from the building of the national institutions. Around the world, similar events were organized: the first was in Sydney, Australia, with 300 runners participating, while in North America, races and walking events took place in Florida, Kansas, Dallas, Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal and New York. In Miami, the Israel Consul General for the South-East attended the race, together with several bereaved families, including one who lost a son at the Nova Music Festival. Over 1,500 people have participated in the project worldwide.
Erev Yom Hazikaron Ceremonies in the Diaspora – Memorial Day Evenings were organized in the Diaspora in conjunction with the shlichim of the World Zionist Organization Executive at the Bet Ha’am centers in London, New Jersey and Paris. In Budapest, the Yom Hazikaron memorial evening ceremony took place in conjunction with the Israel Embassy in Hungary --in the restored Rombach Synagogue, followed by an evening of Israeli ‘nostalgia’ - songs in a minor key.
This is a project dedicated to the memory of the fallen, in conjunction with “Matkon Im Zikaron” (Taste of Memories), an Israeli non-profit and registered charity. A collection of favorite recipes of those who fell on October 7 has been compiled, alongside their personal stories, and translated versions in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French are available for download at: https://www.wzo.org.il/department/diaspora-activities/taste-of-memories/en
The concept has been publicized widely among Jewish communities, day schools and youth movements, which were invited to organize events in a range of formats to strengthen the connection with Israel around the recipe collection. The first event launch in this series took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where participants prepared “Yishai Fitoussi z”l’s Pizza recipe” in collaboration with a famous local chef. A series of similar events is being planned across Latin America, Europe and the USA during the Spring and Summer of 2024, with students, teens and communities getting together with chefs, influencers and community leaders.
A monument to the first victim of terrorism from Moshav Sde Hemed– Nova music festival sound engineer Matan Lior z"l – was inaugurated on Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Matan is credited with saving the lives of many revellers by warning them of the impending assault, guiding them to escape routes while the Palestinian terrorists closed in on him. The monument – a stylised metal tree with roots entwining a typical Israeli stone that will serve to memorialize any future victims of terrorism from Sde Hemed was built with assistance from participants in B’nai B’rith International’s December Solidarity Mission to Israel.
“Achim Anachnu” (Brothers and Sisters Are We) – In conjunction with the One Family Fund, a commemoration ceremony was organized on the eve of Yom Hazikaron at Binyanei Ha’uma (ICC – Jerusalem Conference Center), which was aimed at an English-speaking audience as well as Hebrew speakers. About 2,800 people packed the hall, with students attending yeshivot and midrashot (religious seminaries) in the Diaspora numbering approximately 1,600 participants, with bereaved families accounting for about 1,200. Together, they sang and listened to stories about heroism and the strength of courageous men and women in face of overwhelming odds on that sacred day. Led by the Minister of Diaspora Affairs, the audience also firmly proclaimed their solemn commitment to preserving our internal unity above all other considerations, in their call of “Achim Anachnu!”
This project, launched last month, continues to expand and has enjoyed a warm reception among new communities in the Diaspora. This month, additional communities in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona have picked their choice recipes from the favorites of the fallen and cooked them together, learning about the life and circumstances of the fallen person’s or terror victim’s death. At one event, held in a Jewish chef’s restaurant in Mexico City, the chef created a six-course menu for dozens of young Jewish leaders in the city, based on recipes from the collection. The participants studied the accounts of the life of a fallen person before tasting each course. At another event for counselors from various Jewish youth movements in Buenos Aires, participants all received copies of the recipe book in Spanish.
Diaspora Version’ Book Launch – A special event was held to spotlight the personal stories of the fallen in the “Iron Swords” war or during the October 7 atrocities, through their favorite recipes. The book launch took place in the Weizmann Hall at the National Institutions building. Among the participants were: members of the bereaved families; Israel Prize laureate, Ms. Miriam Perez; the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization; and the Head of the Department for Diaspora Affairs. The program included a presentation about similar events in various Diaspora Jewish communities around the world under the umbrella of this unique project.
The period between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) is when Israel also observes its major national days: Yom Hashoah (Holocaust and Martyrs Memorial Day), Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day for the Fallen and Victims of Terrorism), Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Israel Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day.) Marking these days is an extremely important charge for Morim Shlichim in the Diaspora and offers great potential for connecting and bonding with Israel. This year, it proved exceptionally difficult to mark Yom Hazikaron from afar, while the challenges and complexity that presented, together with the day’s crucial significance, were greater than ever before. A number of the teacher shlichim chose to observe Yom Hazikaron at their schools for the first time with a dignified, formal ceremony that attracted a huge participation. These educator shlichim and shlichot were successful in their endeavors, intertwining the pain of loss and feelings of joy in a manner that was meaningful and conveyed the essence of Zionism. Following is a link to a Morim Shlichim video summary of activities in the USA: Memorial Day and Independence Day 2024.
In preparation for Israel’s National Days, which proved a more complex challenge this year than on any previous occasion, a collaborative project entitled, Kotel Tikvah – The Wall of Hope, was launched for all Diaspora Jewish schools. At each school, together with the students, the World Zionist Organization Morim Shlichim built a ‘Wall of Hope,’ to emphasize our greater strength when we come together, the hope harbored by our people, our unity, and our potential. Each student received a craft kit with the word Hope (Tikvah) in Hebrew and English, along with a structured lesson plan about Hope, to enable them to participate in this creative project during Yom Hazikaron or Yom Ha’atzma’ut activities. The project encompassed 40 schools from all over the world, with over 3,800 students taking part in crafting meaningful and moving patchwork walls from individual squares of Hope. The next phase of the project is for each school to choose 10 representative squares to send to Israel, so that a Kotel Tikvah can be built, embodying the hopes of students from around the world. The unveiling and dedication ceremony will be held in the distinguished presence of the President of Israel and the teacher emissaries due to leave for shlichut in summer 2024. Following is a link to a video summarizing this initial stage of the project: כותל התקווה Wall of Hope.
“I Saw a Bird from my Window” – This photographic exhibit depicting the Gaza border region communities was created for Israel’s 76th Independence Day on a note of hope and rebuilding, and is currently on display in hundreds of Israeli and Jewish communities around the world. It was also on view in the lobby of the KMZ Mevasseret Tzion Reform Synagogue, which also served as the entrance area for the “Twilight” ceremony.
“Bein Hashmashot” – “Twilight” – A transition ceremony between Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Israel Independence Day) was held at the close of Yom Hazikaron at the Mevasseret Zion Reform community, attended by 250 people. Hundreds more watched the ceremony via livestream from the Department for Irgun and Israelis Abroad’s Facebook page. The ceremony was introduced and presented by singer-actor Mati Sery and included an address by noted author and intellectual, David Grossman. The evening was opened by the Head of the Department for Irgun and Israelis Abroad and took place in the presence of the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, the Head of the Mevasseret Zion local council, and Members of the WZO Executive, together with other distinguished guests. The ceremonial program was created around resources developed and distributed to communities worldwide by the Department for Irgun and Israelis Abroad, comprising special readings from Jewish liturgy and contemporary sources, songs and poetry, stories about those who fell, eulogies, and other materials. A parallel ceremony with some 250 participants took place in Toronto, Canada, based on the same resource booklet.
The Israel Zionist Council’s Zionism Quiz project, under the auspices of the WZO and in conjunction with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Israel Ministry of Culture and Sport, drew to an impressive close after months of progressive heats around Israel and across diverse sectors of Israeli society. The grand finale was broadcast live by Israel Channel 12 TV on Yom Ha’atzma’ut. The winning team were Hadassim, from Even Yehuda, who demonstrated their in-depth command of the subject matter and enthusiasm about Zionism from the outset of the contest, during the local heats.
The World Zionist Organization continues its annual tradition of ensuring that all Jews in the Diaspora interested in receiving an Israeli flag to wave proudly on Yom Ha’atzmaut are able to do so. This year, 30,000 flags were distributed to Jewish communities worldwide, as well as a new songbook of songs about Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) with contemporary Israeli songs, and translations in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.) Recipients of the kits have responded, saying how moved they felt to stand by Israel and celebrate Yom Ha’atzma’ut together with the State of Israel, in schools, families and communities.
On the eve of Israel’s 76th Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Independence Day), an Honor Ceremony was held in tribute to olim chadashim (new immigrant) soldiers who received the President of Israel’s 2024 award for distinguished service. The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and the Minister for Immigration and Absorption.
Every year between Yom HaShoah and Yom Ha'atzmaut, takes place a festive event of reading Megillat Ha'atzmaut/Israel's Declaration of Independence at the Egalitarian Kotel in Jerusalem. The event is under the aegis of the Vice Chairman and Acting Chair of the World Zionist Organization, partnering with many other organizations, rabbis and rabbot, public figures and intellectuals of note.
