ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The evening began with the sound of a siren, something familiar to the people of Israel during Yom HaZikaron, the country’s Memorial Day.
“All of the citizens of Israel stop whatever they're doing and stand in silence to honor all of the fallen soldiers and victims of terror attacks who gave their lives for the state of Israel,” said Lee Kestecher Solomon, director of community engagement for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, at the start of the Memorial Day observance at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown.
“We will begin this ceremony the same way.”
Dozens of attendees stood in silence as the siren wailed across the room, heads held in solemn respect.
While Yom HaZikaron is intrinsically a somber event, months after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, it has become so much more present and impactful, several guests at the event noted.
Despite recent events, including war protests on college campuses across the country, Monday night’s observance was intended to avoid any element of politics and instead focus on the heart of Yom HaZikaron, organizers said.
“Their legacy of courage and resilience inspires us to strive for a brighter future."Jeri Zimmerman, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
The gathering at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley was held in honor of the 30,140 fallen soldiers and victims of attacks who lost their lives since the struggle to establish the state of Israel in 1948. That includes the soldiers and civilians who died since the Hamas attack on Israel last Oct. 7.
Solomon urged those in attendance to light a candle in remembrance of those who gave their lives for Israel. The Memorial Day observance began at sunset on Sunday.
Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, spoke of the “victims of the campaign of killing and abuse during which our enemies went from house to house, kidnapped, burned, looted, and murdered [them].
“Their legacy of courage and resilience inspires us to strive for a brighter future," she said. "We must ensure that the high price paid for living as a free people in our own land will motivate us to create a better society that works together even in challenges and disagreements to forge a common path and to continue to build in our beloved Israel a compassionate home in which to live.”
'Of Blessed Memory'
Throughout the evening, stories of Israelis kidnapped or killed during the current war were spliced with heartfelt prayer and musical performances, remembering the individuals, calling for an end to the war, and looking forward to a brighter future.
Ariel Solomon spoke of his friend, Hayim Katsman z”l – the end designation stands for Zichrono livracha, or “Of Blessed Memory” – who was killed outside his home as he attempted to help a neighbor during the Oct. 7 attacks.
“Katsmans’s entire life was basically about peace and togetherness, about love, about being able to get along with Arabs. He studied Arabic, spoke Arabic, loved Arabic music, and made sure to expose it wherever he was,” Solomon said, adding Katsman would drive Palestinians from Gaza to Israel for medical examinations, and help farmers in the nearby region.
Solomon expounded on his friend’s love of music, reminiscing on jam sessions held at a bar in his kibbutz, where residents would routinely congregate to celebrate life in the midst of uncertainty. It served as a reminder of what was being fought for, and the goal to end the war.
“Seeing the pictures and hearing the stories from our friends who survived will forever stay in our minds, and we pray for better days to come, and for them to return home to the kibbutz they love so much,” Solomon said.
Eric Lightman spoke of the Israel Defense Forces, and the experiences they shared in the conflict, going beyond lives as “the college student, the taxi driver, the father of two young children” to “carry the additional burden of defending the state.”
“We remember the ones who were fearless and fighting for peace against those who only knew hatred, and only wanted destruction. We remember those who fought for life against those who glorify death,” said Lightman, executive director of the Jewish Community Center.
“We also pledged to live our lives in a way that ensures that our heroes did not die in vain. We pledge to pursue peace even when the odds are great, and the possibilities seem so far away. We pledge to value the sanctity of all life. We pledge to remember the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers and pray for a day in which no one will need to sacrifice again. We pray that this day will be here soon.”
Debbie Zoller shared the story of Helena Rap z”l, a 15-year-old girl killed by a knife-wielding terrorist on May 24, 1992, calling her “a flower picked before her time.”
She shared a poem Rap had written in her diary, entitled “Flowers are not allowed but soldiers are permitted.”
“I wanted to pick a little flower, Mom said no, it’s protected," Zoller read. "All over the world, there are laws that it is forbidden to pick protected flowers. I’m just a little girl, I don’t know and I don’t understand. But to me is seems a little strange a flower is forbidden – and soliders are allowed.”
"We remember those who fought for life against those who glorify death.”Eric Lightman, executive director of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley
Alexis Gavay-Ratner, 13, took to the front of the room to sing the song “Broken Hearted” in Hebrew, a performance which yielded resounding applause from the audience.
“I feel like it's almost a sense of honor to be able to sing in the memory of those who lost their lives. It's a way for me to connect with them,” Gavay-Ratner said.
Miriam Zager memorialized Shani Louk z”l, a young artist who believed “there are no bad people in the world.” After Zager began to build a life as a tattooist in Tel Aviv, she met her boyfriend who shared a passionate love for music. The pair attended the Nova Festival, where the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas began.
Zager’s boyfriend was killed as they attempted to escape the scene, and while her family held out hope for her survival, three weeks later she was declared dead.
Tama Tamarkin told the story of Mia Schem, a 21-year-old who was also in attendance at Nova, where she was kidnapped by Hamas.
After her release, 110 days following Oct. 7, Schem was released, but her time in captivity — which also left her with stress-induced epilepsy — was fraught with near-starvation, forced propaganda, and fear. Reading Schem’s words, Tamarkin noted her sense that she was still trapped in that state, “and so I will continue to be there.”
“But now we must concentrate on what simply must happen. 136 abductees in Gaza went to a party like me, were abducted from their home, who were abducted while guarding our homeland, and they must be returned. We have no time to waste. Every day there feels like an eternity. Bring them all home now. It is the duty of all of us. It could be any of you,” Tamarkin said, reading Schem’s words.
Other speakers and performers presented works and prayers, including Naomi Schachter, who read “Nothing Will Hurt Me”; Shay Shimon, who read “Today’s Angels”; and Rabbi Moshe Re'em, who played a song with his acoustic guitar.
A memorial presentation for Yuval Ben Yacov z”l, a young man who immigrated to Israel and worked his way up as a “persistent and goal-oriented” individual, touched on his drive to better himself as a member of the IDF before he was killed on Oct. 7 as he and a few others fought 30 terrorists to defend the lives of 75 fellow soldiers, organizers said.
'This is about good and evil'
The night wrapped up with a reading of Kaddish, the Jewish prayer which ends with a call for universal peace; the Misheberach for the IDF, a prayer for the soldiers; a prayer for the captives; a video showcasing a performance of the song “Bring Them Home”; a prayer for the state of Israel; another prayer for the United States; a reading of “Give Us Strength” by Adina Re’em; and finally, the singing of Hatikvah, the Israel national anthem.
Lee encouraged the crowd to return Tuesday to celebrate Israel’s Independence Day, and to light a candle in remembrance of those lost on their way out.
While the camaraderie from the Jewish community helped to salve the wounds of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war against Hamas, some members of the community continue to harbor concern about the state of the world for themselves and their brethren.
“It means a lot to see everybody come together from the community, but obviously, you know, we wish it was for something else," law student Benjamin Wax said. "I know we have this every year, but I think it feels different for everybody, and it culminated with the rise in antisemitism across the country, especially colleges and graduate schools.”
College campuses have become a flashpoint, with pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's offensive in Gaza and Jewish students issuing concerns about their security.
“I think in a way, it's ignited a lot of young people who grew up under this feeling of being safe and being an American Jew to realize that, you know, we weren't as safe as we all thought,” Wax said.
The Jewish Federation's Zimmerman said the Lehigh Valley’s Jewish community holds out hope for a resolution to the war, and an end to the loss of life on both sides.
“With the rise of antisemitism and things that we've experienced so far this year, it's been challenging, and at the same time, we hope people know better and to do the right thing," she said.
"This is not about politics. For me, this is about good and evil. It's about Western culture, and the right to have and believe in and support Western culture and civilization.”
