Jerusalem native Lilach Nissim arrived in Kansas City in early November as the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s fourth Israeli shlicha (Hebrew for female emissary). Her main job here is to educate Kansas Citians about Israel. Twice in the course of the next two weeks she’ll have a chance to give people a taste of Israel at citywide events — Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day) and Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day).

Many Kansas Citians know all about Yom HaAtzmaut, which will be celebrated here on Tuesday, May 10, at Kehilath Israel Synagogue. For years the local Jewish community commemorated Yom HaZikaron, which honors IDF soldiers and civilian victims of terror attacks, at the very beginning of the Israel Independence Day festivities. But a few years ago Kansas City’s Israeli community, which numbers about 20 families, and the Israeli emissary decided the solemn occasion deserved to be marked separately. This year that service takes place Sunday, May 8 (see below).

Nissim said Yom HaZikaron is a very, very important day in Israel. It’s also something that is really hard to explain to Americans because there really isn’t anything like it here. In her opinion, the only thing she can compare it to here are ceremonies that commemorate 9/11.
She believes Yom HaZikaron continues to be important because Jews are not done fighting for a Jewish state.

“This day is something that is not taken lightly even today, 63 years after the establishment of the state. It is something that we are still fighting about.And people are still giving their lives so that we can have a Jewish state of Israel,” she said.

Nissim said everyone in Israel understands the importance of the day.

“Everybody knows people that gave their lives for the country. Everybody’s brothers and fathers and friends and neighbors (were in the army). My brother nearly died in the army several times,” she said.

“For us the day is something very, very personal and it makes us appreciate freedom and what we have,” she said. “We understand people are giving their lives for a cause, and that cause is not only military. It is for us to be better people, for the country to be more successful and more moral. We don’t want them to die in vain, so this is a very big issue in Israel.”

The most important message Nissim hopes to convey to people when she talks about Yom HaZikaron is that the day should not be important just in Israel.

“Soldiers are fighting for the Jewish state. And the Jewish state is something that belongs to the entire Jewish people, whether they live in Israel or not. I really want people to understand this is a significant day for all Jews.”

The commemoration

Nissim explained that Yom HaZikaron is “our annual reminder of the price we have to pay to live in Israel, to have a Jewish state.”

That is why Yom Hazikaron is always scheduled a day before Yom HaAtzmaut.

“It combines the sorrow and happiness of living freely in a Jewish state,” she said.

In Israel Yom HaZikaron begins at 8 p.m. with the blare of a siren.

“Everybody stops what they are doing and stands in silence for 1 minute. The next morning, at 10 a.m. another siren blasts for 2 minutes. Again, everyone stands together to remember and honor the soldiers and civilians. I cannot explain it in words … it is a kind of solidarity that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.”

Nissim said people in Israel stop what they are doing when the sirens blow no matter where they are.

“On this day in Israel, people stop their cars in the middle of the highway, to get out and stand in the middle of the road in silence. There are no television commercials that day, no funny things on the radio. The only things you hear are stories about the soldiers and civilians who died, and songs written about them.”

Nissim said she is from a strong Zionist family. Her father served in the army for 28 years. She and her siblings also served. Before she came to Kansas City, she worked as a youth coordinator and manager of a youth center for children at risk in missile-torn Sderot.

“Daily, I saw children and adults missing limbs from rocket attacks when I lived in Sderot. It made it easy to understand the truth about life … how fragile it is.”

Nissim encourages all members of the community, whether or not they have attended a Yom HaZikaron service before, to experience this year’s memorial service.

Yom HaZikaron

Organizers hope about 300 people will attend the memorial service, which takes place at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 8, in the Jewish Community Campus Social Hall. In addition to the service, which will include songs, stories and Officer Amit Fisher, an IDF soldier currently based in Leavenworth, Kan., attendees will have a chance to view photos, stories and letters from fallen soldiers, and light a remembrance candle in honor of the many who have died.

For more information about the Yom HaZikaron service, go to www.jewishkansascity.org or call Lilach Nissim at (913) 327-8124. It is sponsored by the Israeli Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the Israel emissary.

“It is an honor to remember the many Israelis who have given their lives to protect their country.”