Masa Israel Journey Hosts World’s Largest English-Language Yom HaZikaron Ceremony

Masa Israel Journey hosted its 16th annual Yom HaZikaron ceremony last night at Yad L’Shiryon in Latrun, Israel. This event, the largest of its kind conducted in English, attracted over 5,000 attendees and countless viewers worldwide, honoring Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Under the theme “We Are One,” the ceremony reflected the organization’s collective mourning and the resilience necessary to rebuild and maintain hope.

The ceremony was live-streamed to a global audience with speeches by Major General (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Yael Sahar Rubinstein, Acting CEO of Masa Israel Journey. 

Yael Sahar Rubinstein, Acting CEO of Masa Israel Journey: “Yom HaZikaron, our Day of Remembrance, is essential to Israel and the Jewish people. At Masa, it is extremely important to us that we recognize we are one people, wherever we are, and if there is anything to learn from these past months, it is that we need to stay united. United in remembering and honoring our fallen, and in mourning our losses, and united in prevailing. The stories shared here tonight are connected by the values of love, determination, sacrifice, and commitment to Israel and the Jewish people. This ceremony is for us to focus on the heroes, cherish the world they left behind, and try to be worthy of their sacrifice. May their memory be a blessing.” 

Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency: “On the eve of Memorial Day, we connect to the living memory of the fallen who linked their fate with the State of Israel, sacrificing their lives to defend and uphold it. The fallen include olim from Jewish communities around the world who have stood by Israel in its toughest hour, expressing unconditional love and a deep shared destiny. Masa Israel Journey, an organization of The Jewish Agency, helps bring young people to Israel, connecting them to the Israeli story and serving as a living bridge between young people in Israel and those around the globe. We will remember the fallen of Israel’s battles with respect, pain, longing, and gratitude, and we will do everything to be worthy of their sacrifice. Their legacy will be a monument and an inspiration to the world.”