Since the establishment of the State of Israel, three new dates have been added to the Jewish calendar. The first is Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, which is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the day that commemorates fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. The third is Yom Yerushalayim, the day that celebrates the unification of Jerusalem in 1967. All three are observed as national holidays in Israel and recognized worldwide by the majority of the Jewish people.

The national holiday nature of Yom Ha’atzmaut is clear, and the way it is celebrated, especially in Israel, is similar to how any country celebrates its national holiday. But from a religious perspective, for many Jews, the creation of the Jewish state is an event of epic proportions, which should be celebrated as a holiday on par with Passover, Sukkot, or Rosh Hashanah. In Israel’s early years, the rabbinate decided that this day should be commemorated in the synagogue by reciting the Hallel (Psalms of praise) and reading a special haftarah, a text taken from one of the Bible’s books of the prophets. But for the religious Zionist movement in Israel, this was not enough, and they created a special prayer book (machzor) to celebrate Independence Day. Later, the prayer «Al Hanisim,» «For miracles,» said on Purim and Hanukkah, was included in the day’s liturgy. For its part, the Masorti (Conservative) movement integrated Yom Ha’atzmaut into its religious commemorations and published a Haggadah designed to bring the celebration into the home. The Reform movement, in 1970, reaffirmed that: «Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, is a permanent holiday in our religious calendar.»

But it is not a holiday for everyone. For some Jews, generally ultra-Orthodox, the creation of Israel is not a central moment in modern Jewish history, and they do not celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. Some even view its creation as a sin, since the Jewish people did not wait for the Messiah to bring them back to the Land of Israel. On the other hand, the secular population in Israel celebrates it with outings and excursions, conferences, family education programs, and forums for dialogue.

Esti Moskovitz-Kalman tells us: “Jewish holidays and celebrations allow us to instill and enrich Jewish memory and values ​​through collective experiences. These experiences are collective, as many symbolic actions are carried out in public, whether at home or in the community, and are global and coincidental, as they take place all over the world at the same time.” Professor Moskovitz comments that every celebration has a central theme, and for her, Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrates what Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, says: «Lihiyot Am Jofshi b’Artzenu,» meaning to be a free people in our land.

There are many ways to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, and the way will depend on what the date represents for each of us. But rather than worrying about how to celebrate it, we must remember why.

By Marcos Gojman

Bibliography: Robbie Gringras and Esti Moskovitz-Kalman: «Chag Ha’atzmaut, Blueprints for the Jewish Festival of Independence» and other sources.