750 Jam Weissberg Commons for Yom Ha'Atzmaut/Yom Hazikaron Function

Wednesday April 29th marked the annual Yeshiva University Yom Hazikaron Program and Yom Ha'atzmaut Festivities. The large crowd experienced a night that began with solemn speeches and heartfelt prayer and then continued with enthusiastic dancing and a kumsitz on Dancziger Quadrangle.

The evening began with rolling bass drums piercing the silence in Belfer Commons. The solemn rendition of Balad LeChovesh, the Medic's Song, which is a staple of Yom Hazikaron programs in and out of Israel, moved the 750 attendees of YU’s Yom Ha'atzmaut ceremony. The Hatikva was then recited.

The program, held each year to commemorate the day of remembrance for Jews who perished in the various Israeli wars and the Holocaust as well as the founding of the state of Israel, was effective in awakening many of the deep feelings and emotional ties of YU students to their homeland and to their history as a nation generally. One student commented that he "was moved by the event, and hidden feelings of love for his country were awakened by what took place."

A candle lighting ceremony in honor of the fallen soldiers was led by YU students who have served in the IDF. Each person lit their candle in memory of a different Jewish tragedy, from the six million that perished in the Holocaust to Jewish soldiers that had fallen in various Israeli wars.

The candle ceremony was followed by a rendition of Magash HaKeshef, an Israeli poem recited by Nealy Klein, a SCW junior, and Hadar Weiss, a YC junior, in Hebrew and English, respectively.

After the poetry reading, Daniel Kutner, current Israeli Consul of Academic Affairs to the United States, gave a quick, dramatic speech that summed up the recent history of the Jewish people in the state of Israel and our obligations as American Jews to Israel. He spoke about the "personal commitment to Israel to ensure the unbreakable link between Jews in the Diaspora and Israel". The Consul also praised the University, noting that "in 1991, when many left Israel, we saw many Yeshiva University students stay." The speech climaxed as he described the current situation in Israel as a time when "we Jews stand proudly, on our own two feet… when the swamps have been dried and the Hebrew language has been reborn, and the Kingdom of David has come alive."

The final speaker was Rabbi Goldwicht, Rosh Yeshiva and Maggid Shiur in JSS, BMP, and MYP. He explained the significance of the Karbon Ha’omer and Sefirat Ha’omer. He also discussed the importance of realizing that G-d has given us everything, from the simple meal of the Karbon Ha’omer to the great State of Israel. Jeff Kohn, a YC junior, reflected the sentiment of many students when he remarked, "Rav Goldwicht’s speech was excellent."

Next on the agenda was a Ma’ariv that lasted nearly an hour. The prayer service followed the custom in Israel and included a wide variety of additions to the traditional liturgy including excerpts from Psalms, the Ani Ma’amin and a Shir Hama’alos sung to the tune of the Hatikva. The shofar, or ritual ram's horn, was blown, marking the end of the Day of Remembrance.

An enthusiastic display of dancing ushered in Yom Ha’azmaut, sharply interrupting the seriousness that preceded it. Belfer Commons was filled with a celebratory feeling. The chagiga included students from both Stern and Yeshiva Colleges separately circling around several Israeli flags in dance.

Ending it off was a rare sight on Yeshiva campus. At around eleven, a small group of students gathered around a guitar to sing songs in praise of their homeland. Within an hour, the group grew to about a hundred-and-fifty participants, including five guitars, five bongo drums, two saxophones, two harmonicas and a recorder. Although the large group was eventually interrupted by security, their cry was heard - and signaled that the affair had served its purpose.