By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, San Diego

On Wednesday, May 11,  sirens once again sounded throughout Israel and the country came to a standstill. This time the moment of silence was held on Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, the day upon which all who have fallen in service to the country or from acts of terrorism, are remembered, mourned, and honored.

One of the largest public commemorations takes place at Har Herzl, Israel’s largest National Cemetery. Theodore Herzl, the spiritual founder of the modern Jewish State, and many other dignitaries are buried there, along with hundreds of Israeli soldiers who were killed defending Medinat Yisrael.

My wife Judy and I joined the thousands of mourners who were paying respects to their family and friends. After the central memorial service, Yizkor and Kaddish prayers were recited by groups of tearful Israelis gathered around individual graves. As I watched the throngs, the Bible’s verse following the tenth plague came to mind: "there was not a home in which death could not be found." Israel is a very small country in which almost every young man and woman serves in the armed forces. Almost every Israeli knows someone who was killed in battle or in an act of terror. When a soldier dies or someone is murdered in act of terror, it is always personal.

Yom Hazkikaron is a day of quiet, reflection, and introspection. Traffic slows, television programming is somber, the parks are quiet, and the sadness is palpable.

However, as the sun sets, solemnity gives way to celebration as Yom Hazikaron ends and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) begins. Yom Ha’atzmaut is as joyous as Yom Hazikaron is sad. On Yom Ha’atzmaut the classic image of Israelis dancing joyously in the streets comes to life once again. The center of Jerusalem is closed off to vehicular traffic and becomes a gigantic open air mall. (Yes, soldiers, police, and private security personnel are everywhere, and you have to pass a security check before entering the main celebration.)

We walked the streets along with thousands of other Israelis. In some places there was barely room to stand. Bands played on the street corners, vendors hawked their wares, restaurants were filled to capacity, and fireworks lit up the sky. Everyone was having a great time and the joy was unrestrained. Our Fourth of July celebrations are tame compared to those of Yom Ha’atzmaut!

There was a gigantic Israeli folk dance party at Kikar Safra, a large outdoor plaza at the Jerusalem Municipality Building. Judy joined the crowd and stayed out until 3:00 a.m. with hundreds of other dancers. I could not keep up with her, so I turned in at 2:00 a.m.!

The next day, on Yom Ha’atzmaut itself, we went to see a "Living Museum" that was staged in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Rechavia. Rechavia was closed off to traffic and young performers acted out famous scenes from Israeli history. They dressed in period attire and the music and food booths adjacent to the exhibits reflected the cultures and times being demonstrated. It was a fun filled and educational day.