Remembering the unsung American and Canadians heroes in Israel

Israel’s Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism this year has been the most tragic and emotional in decades.

The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI), in partnership with KKL-JNF and supported by the Jewish National Fund USA, held a ceremony in the Judean Hills to honor the brave young émigrés who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

David London, AACI's executive director, addressed hundreds of family members and diplomats at the memorial ceremony about the AACI Remembers project. Since 1967, the AACI has held an annual ceremony to recognize fallen Israeli soldiers from North America. In 2003, the memorial site in Yitzhak Rabin Forest was renovated to include a wall listing the names of the fallen. This year, the organization launched the AACI Remembers website to chronicle the lives of the fallen through stories and information.

North American diplomats traditionally attend the annual memorial event. Ambassador Jack Lew spoke about meeting with families of fallen soldiers and civilians and of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7. “This year,” Lew said, “our hearts are heavy as we honor the memory of the 77 individuals who tragically are now added to the memorial wall...Your friends here and in the United States and Canada grieve with you and support you.”

Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel, whose family is of American and Canadian origin, spoke about his son-in-law, Sgt. Maj. David Schwartz died in the Gaza Strip alongside his best friend, Yakir Hexter, who was an American citizen. He told the gathering, “David was killed in battle in Khan Yunis in January 2024, fighting for his beloved homeland, and now we are one of those families.”

Gitler described how David shielded his family from the harsh realities of his service: “He would always tell us, don’t worry, we’re in military engineering. We go in after everything’s been cleared after everything’s safe. But of course, he was doing that just to put us, his wife, and his parents at ease.”

The ceremony closed with candles lit in memory of the many lives lost.