In Israel, a minute-long siren marks the beginning of Yom Hazikaron. As families head to military ceremonies to visit the gravestones of loved ones, there is a heaviness in the air. People cry openly in the streets and radios play a constant stream of sad songs. Yom Hazikaron is a national day mourning, and restaurants and movie theaters are closed.

Then, only 24 hours later, the lowered flag is raised, symbolizing the transition to Yom Ha’atzmaut. A sense of euphoria fills Israel  and concerts, light shows, and barbecues abound.

It is often difficult to comprehend the depths of the charged emotions and the gravity of the transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut. For Oleh parents whose children enlist in the IDF, these days are especially meaningful.

For Karen Zivan, an Olah who currently has two sons in the Israeli Army, Yom Hazikaron encapsulates the respect that soldiers receive on a daily basis. “Soldiers are Israel’s modern-day heroes,” she said. “We know that without our soldiers we wouldn’t experience the safety and security that we have. When we see soldiers in our day-to-day lives, we never take them for granted.”

In order to pay tribute to Olim who fought for Israel in its early years, Karen and her husband spend Yom Hazikaron visiting the graves of lone soldiers from Europe. During the rest of the year, Karen volunteers her time as a yoga teacher in different army units. Yehuda Laufer, an Oleh from New Jersey, cleans and polishes his son’s boots when he comes home for the weekend. “That’s my way of letting him know that we’re very proud of him and the decision he’s made.”

Yehuda also feels like seeing his son enlist has been the final step in his family’s acclimatization to life in Israel. When Yehuda hears his son speaking Hebrew like a native he feels like the family is “replanting” their roots in Israel.

While on weekend leave from the army, Yehuda’s son tells his family about his experiences, and shows them another side of Israel. “We live in a homogeneous community and in the army, you find yourself in a more heterogeneous environment with people from different religious and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Yehuda.

For Olim parents, Yom Ha’atzmaut means celebrating their children’s service, as well as their own contributions to the State of Israel. “Our son’s objective has been to serve Israel wherever he has been needed,” said Yehuda. “Seeing this has really reinforced our the decision our family made to live in Israel.”

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