Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, four new holidays have been added to the Jewish calendar: Yom HaShoah, (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). In Israel these holidays are observed as national holidays. The first three holidays, which are widely celebrated in Jewish communities throughout America as well, all fall in April this year.
YOM HASHOAH
Yom HaShoah occurs on the 27th of Nissan. Shoah, which means catastrophe or utter destruction in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Holocaust. In northern Arizona, the Jewish Community of Sedona will be hosting a commemoration on April 7 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm at Jewish Community of Sedona and Verde Valley. Co-sponsors of the event are the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University and Heichal Baoranim synagogue in Flagstaff.
The program features NAU’s Women’s Chorale, the Arizona Mountain Chorale and the Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy Dance Students. Honored guests include Nika Fleissig, whose story was lovingly recounted by her daughter in the book From Miracle to Miracle: A Story of Survival, and Doris Martin, who, with her husband, Ralph, wrote the book Kiss Every Step. The Martins established the Martin-Springer Institute at NAU in 2000, dedicated to applying the lessons of the Holocaust to promote moral courage, altruism and tolerance. In the greater Phoenix area, the Holocaust Survivors Association, the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Association are joining together to sponsor several events. There will be a community-wide commemoration on April 7 at 2 pm at Temple Solel in Scottsdale. On April 9 at the JCC, there will be a Reading of the Names from 7 am to 7 pm. Individuals and organizations are providing readers. To volunteer to read names, contact Monique Mendel, 480-966-1162 or moniquemendel@me.com. To add family names to the Reading of Remembrance, email names to the same address.
The Reading of the Names is part of the worldwide Holocaust memorial project “Unto Every Person There Is a Name,” now in its 22nd year. It is a unique project designed to honor those who perished by perpetuating their memory as individuals and helping to restore their identity and dignity through the public recitation of their names on Yom HaShoah. At 9:30 am there will be a short ceremony and sounding of the siren. Janice Friebaum will speak at 10 am about the Warsaw Ghetto, as the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising occurs this year. Friebaum holds a master’s degree in Jewish and Holocaust studies from the University of Chicago.
Her father, Morris Friebaum, is a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto.
At the conclusion of the Reading of the Names, the teens from Hebrew High will lead the community in Yizkor services. On April 10 there will be a screening of the movie “Korczak” at 6:30 pm at the JCC. In 1912 Janusz Korczak established a Jewish orphanage, Dom Sierot, in a building which he designed to advance his progressive educational theories. The orphanage moved inside the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940. Though Korczak received many offers to be smuggled out, he refused, not wanting to abandon the children. On Aug. 5, 1942, he accompanied nearly 200 children who were sent to Treblinka, where they were all put to death. The movie is being offered free to survivors and is $5 to the public.
The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is collecting its decades of testimonial footage of survivors in the Tucson area and digitizing it for easier handling and showing. They continue to film stories of survivors not yet recorded. For their Yom HaShoah program, they will honor their survivors on April 7 at 2 pm at the JCC in Tucson, with the cinematic viewing of the footage. Bryan Davis, of the JFSA, says, “We’re so proud to be able to honor our survivors in this meaningful way.” He added
that a similar honor will occur at the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s upcoming 20th Anniversary.
Today, many individuals also commemorate Yom HaShoah by lighting yellow candles to keep the memory of the victims alive.
YOM HAZIKARON
Yom Hazikaron pays respect to fallen Israeli soldiers. The holiday falls on the fourth of Iyar, the day preceding Israel’s Independence Day, and was declared by the Israeli Knesset to be a memorial day for those who lost their lives in the struggle that led to the establishment of the State of Israel and for all military personnel who were killed while in active duty in Israel’s armed forces.
Joining these two days conveys an important message: Israelis owe much of the existence and independence of the Jewish state to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. This year’s holiday falls on April 14-15. In Tucson the color guard from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base will present colors accompanied by a variety of respectful programs dedicated to those whose lives have been lost. Local adult and youth choirs will perform, and rabbis from all the congregations plan to participate.
The events take place at 6 pm on April 14 at the Tucson JCC. Shahar Edyr, the new director of the Israel Center at the Jewish Community Association in Scottsdale, hopes to create a memorial wall for the fallen soldiers (see article in this issue). Most communities will sound a siren and observe a time of silence.
YOM HA’ATZMAUT
Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, marks the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948. It is observed on or near the 5th of Iyar. This year the holiday is April 15-16, but it will be celebrated in Arizona on various days in April. The Greater Tucson area’s celebration will be held on April 21 from noon to 6 pm on the JCC campus and will include a pavilion of Israel’s technical innovations. “The Israel 65 Festival will feature Israel’s Incredible Innovations, celebrating Israel’s amazing contributions to the world,” says Guy Gelbart, director of the Weintraub Israel Along with games, food and an Israel-inspired shuk (marketplace),
the event also boasts a performance by the Maccabeats, the renowned a capella group from Yeshiva University in New York, as a thank you from the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s 2013 Community Campaign.
Since 2007 The Maccabeats have performed throughout the world, in addition to producing two albums. They’ve performed at the Governor’s Mansion with Mayor Bloomberg in New York and at the White House for President Obama. Strongly committed to the philosophy of Torah Umadda, the integration of traditional and secular
wisdom, the Maccabeats perform an eclectic array of Jewish, American and Israeli songs. JFSA Outreach Director Anne Lowe will design a T-shirt for this year’s festival with the slogan, “65 reasons to love Israel.” To contribute your favorite one- or two-word reason for loving, Israel, email Lowe at alowe@jfsa.org
ISRAEL CENTER EVENTS
In the greater Phoenix area, the Israel Center is planning several events. From April 8 through May 17, there will be a photography exhibit by Rudi Weissenstein called “Your Fortunate Eyes” in the lobby of the JCC. This extraordinary and moving exhibit includes 19 exclusive photographs from Israel’s early days. Weissenstein,
who was born in the Czech Republic in 1910, emigrated to Israel in 1936, prior to the state’s independence. He spent his entire life documenting Israel and is perhaps best known for his historical photograph of David Ben-Gurion at the reading of the declaration of independence. In conjunction with the exhibit, the documentary “Life in Stills” will be shown also at the JCC.
The film traces how Miriam Weissenstein, at the age of 96, managed to save her husband’s work from near destruction. The Israel Center is also hosting a photography contest: Through the Lens. Eligible entries should show a favorite original photograph of Israel. All entries must be received by April 14. Send your photograph in jpeg format, with a short explanation of what it is and why it represents Israel to you, to israelcenter@jewishphoenix.org. All submitted photos will be displayed in a community exhibit on Yom Ha’atzmaut, and the three winning entries will receive cash prizes.
On April 28 the Israel Center and the JCC are hosting “Israel @ 65 in Pictures & Song” from 12:30 to 4 pm. With support from dozens of the community’s organizations and synagogues, the afternoon will include Israeli vendors and food in the JCC promenade. There will be a 1K “Rock the Land” walk on the outdoor field, with interactive activities at each stop, representing various cities in Israel. In addition there will be bounce houses and art activities for young participants. The Maccabeats will also be performing at this festival from 3 to 4 pm.
Of special note this year is the “Gift of Life” program. Sponsored by the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, individuals have the opportunity to have a bone marrow swabbing to assess compatibility with those who need a transplant. There is no charge for the swabbing, though kit processing is $60 per kit. The greater Phoenix community has a very personal interest in this program because 3-year-old Ezra Fineman, grandson of local residents Judy and Scott Fineman, is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant to cure his rare primary immune deficiency called Hyper IgM Syndrome. For more information, visit Giftoflife.org.
