Israel remembers the Holocaust, pays tribute to its fallen, and looks forward to Independence day.

 The month of April is a very powerful and busy month in the Israeli calendar. Three very important days mark the calendar. Yom Hashoa (Holocaust remembrance day), Yom Hazikaron (remembrance of fallen soldiers), and finally Yom Haatmaut (celebrating Israel's independence). These days are important to commemorate the past, and to celebrate the present and future. On Yom Hashoa and Yom Hazikaron a siren is sounded, and everyone in the country stops what they are doing for one minute. On Wednesday I was raking leaves on the Kibbutz, when the siren was blasted from huge speakers. Everyone dropped what they were doing, and stood quietly. It was a moment of both sadness and unity on the Kibbutz.

 Tomorrow I will be heading to Har Hertzl in Jerusalem (which is the military cemetery), to hand out water to visitors, and visit a few graves. It should be a sad but powerful day.

 One grave I will be visiting is the grave of fallen American-Israeli soldier Alex Singer. Alex's life is the most inspiring story I have ever heard. Alex Singer grew up in Philadelphia, attended Cornell University, traveled europe studying Jewish history, and after making Aliyah become an officer in the Givati brigade.  Throughout his life Alex was constantly writing, sketching, and living by the ideals he believed in. In 1984 Alex was killed trying to save fellow comrades, while fighting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. He was killed on his 25th birthday.

 Alex's drawings, letters, thoughts, and poems have since been compiled into a book called "Alex Building a Life: The Story of An American Who Fell Defending Israel." This book has inspired me in so many ways, because what Alex went through is very relatable to me and every young person. He talks about issues of homesickness, the meaning of life, Zionism, Judaism, love, and just being a kid. One thing Alex said told his soldiers that helped me, was that if they were to think only of their next visit with they families, then their tour would be very long and painful. Living away from home for nine months I have found this to be true; although it is fine to write and think of my family, I must mentally be here living each day to the fullest.

 Alex's message is to cherish each moment, and not just to think about things, but to actually put them to practice.

 Here is an excerpt from one of Alex's letter's to his brother Saul Singer, who is now the co-auther of the world famous book start up nation. Saul's daughter was also my camper this summer at Yavneh.

 "walking through a wadi in the middle of the night with a million stars over my head, and singing as I walk because I'm so content and so enjoying myself, and climbing mountains and looking over the desert, and seeing eagles and a huge waddling porcupine, and the goodness of the rest which always comes after a night of trekking with so much weight on my shoulders... I'm feeling wonderful and very much at peace with my decision to stay on.' -Alex Singer




 http://www.alexsinger.org/

People observing the moment of silence

Saul Singer's book about Israeli hi-tek