Memorial Day In Israel and The United States, Important To Remember

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Memorial Day in the USA, falling on this coming Monday, May 25, 2026 is a solemn federal holiday dedicated to honoring and mourning U.S.military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. It is distinct from Veterans Day, which is a day to celebrate and thank all American veterans, living or deceased, who have honorably served in the military.  In other words, the veterans who served in the military were one of our most important products of living in a Democratic world.  We must not let our history of such wars and who had fallen in the act of defending us be forgotten.  

Israel has had to fight many wars even before its birth of May 14, 1948 and the many fallen have also been remembered with Israel's Memorial Day, known as Yom HaZikaron, that is a solemn national day of remembrance honoring fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. It takes place annually on the 4th of the Hebrew month of Iyar (Yom HaZikaron) in 2026 was observed from sundown on Monday, April 20 until nightfall on Tuesday, April 21 , which falls one day before Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) to symbolically connect the sacrifices made for the nation's existence to the joy of its independence.  

The Sounding of the Sirens: The most defining features of the day are two nationwide sirens that bring the entire country to a standstill. The first siren sounds at 8:00 PM marking the start of the day, and the second sounds at 11:00 AM. During these two minutes, citizens pause their activities, get out of their cars on highways, and stand in total silence to honor the fallen.                                              

Closures and Broadcasting: By law, all places of public entertainment are closed during the 24 hours of the observance. Radio and television stations alter their programming to broadcast documentaries, stories of fallen soldiers, and scrolls of names rather than regular programming.                            

Ceremonies: Official state ceremonies are held throughout the country, notably at the Western Wall and the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl. Smaller memorial services are simultaneously held in schools, community centers, and local cemeteries.

Meaning of USA Memorial Day: It is a day of reflection and remembrance specifically reserved for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in service to the country.

 Originally known as "Decoration Day" in the post-Civil War era, it was a time for citizens to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with spring flowers.  It is  observed annually on the last Monday in May. Because of its somber nature, it is generally considered inappropriate to wish someone a "Happy Memorial Day." Instead, the proper sentiment is to observe it respectfully or thank a Gold Star family.

Bill Ivey,  an American folklorist and author, was chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) ... said, "Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and as we prepare to celebrate what has become the traditional start of summer, I think it is important to pause and reflect on the true meaning of this holiday: it is a time to remember those servicemembers who have died fighting for our country.

The first national observance of those who gave their lives in the defense of freedom was in 1868, specifically honoring the Soldiers and Sailors who had perished in the Civil War. As time went on, and conflicts ensued, we added to that growing list of men and women who had given their last full measure of devotion. The two world wars in the first half of the 20th Century cemented this day of remembrance, and it officially became a national holiday.

A discovery by a Yale University professor at a Harvard archive suggests the earliest observance of Memorial Day was held by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865. Records show that the group transformed a racetrack that had once served as a prison for Union captives into a proper burial site. On May 1, 1865, thousands gathered for a procession led by 3,000 school children carrying flowers and singing patriotic songs.

In 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day when President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation stating Waterloo celebrated the first Memorial Day. That day, in 1866, the city closed all businesses so residents could decorate the gravesites of soldiers with flowers and American flags.   Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery honor fallen U.S. service members. Signature events feature

the solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Memorial Amphitheater, and the iconic "Flags In" tradition where service members place hundreds of thousands of American flags before every headstone

Other records show that the first Memorial Day came after the Civil War, when communities came together at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. It remains one of the country’s most notable Memorial Day ceremonies.