Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Israeli Memorial Day

An impossibly hard day for all those whose loved ones have been killed in war, and/or murdered in terrorist attacks.

Just as Jewish holidays start at sundown and last until sundown on the following day, so too does Memorial Day start at sundown and lasts until the next day. In a particularly Jewish and particularly Israeli turn, sundown ending Memorial Day is the sundown that starts the Independence Day celebrations. It's a difficult, poignant transition.

The families can never 'get over' the loss, the whole in their hearts, they can only get through.

Sorry to joy, joy to sorrow, waves of pain in the soul like embers, sometimes kindly waning and other times burning hot and untouchable, searing, debilitating. This is the story of the Jewish people. This is the story of Israel. These are the stories of the Jews, and their loved ones.

Here is one such story.