This was the first Yom Haatzmaut I have truly spent in Israel.
It is true that during my 3 years in Yeshiva in Israel I did have remarkable Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut experiences, but I was young and this year was the first time I was able to spend it in and amongst the people of Israel. I am embarrassed that I did not do this before now. In honesty, Diaspora Jews usually ascend to Israel around the festivals and for vacation, but somehow Israel's Memorial and Independence days are overlooked.
I went first to Har Herzl for Yom Hazikaron. As we entered the military cemetery, the weight of the moment was palpable. Thousands of fresh graves from the last year. Families gathered around headstones, some weeping silently, others sharing memories. The diversity of the mourners struck me—secular and religious, Ashkenazi and Sephardi, young and old—all united by loss and love of country.
The transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut is perhaps the most powerful emotional experience in the Jewish calendar. In the span of minutes, a nation moves from mourning to celebration. The message is profound: the joy of independence is inseparable from the sacrifice that made it possible.
Standing on Har Herzl as the flag was raised and the crowds erupted in song, I understood something I had only known intellectually: Israel is not just a country. It is the continuation of a story that began with Avraham. Every soldier buried on that mountain is a chapter in that story. Every family mourning is part of that story. And every Jew who stands there—even a visitor from the Diaspora—becomes part of that story too.
We speak often about the importance of supporting Israel. But there is a difference between supporting Israel and being part of Israel's story. Supporting Israel can be done from a distance. Being part of the story requires presence. It requires showing up.
This Yom Haatzmaut taught me that the greatest gift we can give Israel is not just our money or our advocacy—it is ourselves. Our presence says: we are one people. Your story is our story. Your pain is our pain. And your joy is our joy.
I urge every Diaspora Jew to spend at least one Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut in Israel. It will change the way you understand what it means to be part of the Jewish people.