Celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, at The J on Sunday, May 22 with great family activities from art projects and games to cotton candy. The fun starts at noon and continues until 4. Bring your own picnic or purchase Israeli treats like falafel and hummus.
With a special concert, award-winning Cantor Shiree Kidron will add song to mix. She is a unique and versatile vocalist who is as comfortable with classical music and oratorio as she is with Jewish classical and folk music. Recently, Cantor Kidron celebrated a musical Kabbalat Shabbat with a bluegrass flavor.
“Every year we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut and also remember what led us to this joyous day,” said Yom Ha’atzmaut Chair Dovrat Netz. “When David Ben-Gurion made the Israeli Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, the entire nation was emotional. To them, it was not a thing of little importance – it was everything.
“After surviving years of persecution,” she continued, “which came to a horrific peak during World War II, they finally had the one thing they wanted – a home. Celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut enables every Jewish person around the world to feel the unbreakable bond to the State of Israel and all the good it represents, even without being there physically. The fact that in this day and age we still encounter anti-Semitism, makes this day even more important.
“I encourage everyone to come and take part in this celebration,” Netz continued, “for it is not just a celebration for the state and citizens of Israel, but for those around the world who believes in the values for which it stands.”
A brief Yom Hazikaron ceremony for Israel’s Memorial Day will precede the celebration, during which the Louisville Jewish community will take a few moments to remember those who paid the ultimate price for Israel’s survival and security.
Yom Ha’atzmaut Committee members are Netz, Amy Danino and Faina Kronenberg.