Yom Hazicaron - Israeli Remembrance Day

Today is Yom Hazicaron or Israeli day of remembrance. It is the day when we remember the fallen heroes who fought against overwhelming odds to protect the State of Israel. We all know the stories of the miraculous victory of the IDF over the invading Arab armies surrounding the tiny state. I truly believe that future generations will celebrate those victories as miracles no smaller then the miracles of Chanukah and Purim.

I figured this day was an opportunity to reflect upon what those soldiers fought and died for. For the past 2000 years the Jewish people lived in diaspora. We were a people without a home. An orphan people if you will. To make matters worse our "foster parents" were quite hostile towards us. I honestly believe that one of the reasons that Judaism survived the diaspora was the constant discrimination and abuse faced by the Jewish people in their host countries.

Over the centuries the Jewish people faced banishment and forced conversions in countries like Spain, England, Russia, France, Poland, Germany and basically everywhere we existed. What made it worse was that we had to take whatever abuse they threw at us with a smile because we had no where else to turn. We had no home.

One of the ways that the Jewish peoples of Europe would cope with their difficult existence was to dream of a day when they would once again have a home. At every holiday and festival the ceremony would end with the singing of the "Leshona Haba" or "Next Year In Jerusalem".

Now that dream of next year has become a reality. It is thanks to the brave men and women who fought and died to defend Israel. The best way we can honor them and appreciate their sacrifice is to simply appreciate what we have. To understand what a miracle it is just having a State of Israel in existence. With the founding of Israel the Jewish people were no longer going to be treated like the worlds unwanted step-children. We finally have a home. We should all remember and thank those who sacrificed their lives to the cause of defending that home.