From Remembrance to Independence: Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut
Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple
Free and open to the community with RSVP (Required) to www.JewishVA.org/IsraelToday
As the sun sets on May 8, Israelis and Jews around the world move from observing Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), a somber day of remembering and honoring the soldiers who gave their lives in the War of Independence and in protecting Israel since, into Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), a day of celebration. While that stark contrast may seem different, for Israelis, the link between these two days is obvious; without the sacrifice of those in the armed forces, there would have been no independent Jewish state.
The evening with Ambassador Ido Aharoni is presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and Community Partners.
Ambassador Aharoni, Israel’s longest-serving consul-general in New York and the tristate area, overseeing the operations of the Jewish State’s largest diplomatic mission around the globe, will be in Tidewater to honor the transition from Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut, and highlight that same intensity of modern Israel life. Every Israeli has been touched by the tragedy of war, yet following a day of mourning, every Israeli celebrates twice as hard the next day, admiring their beautiful country.
Ambassador Aharoni is a 25-year-veteran of Israel’s Foreign Service. He is a public diplomacy specialist, founder of the Brand Israel program, and a well-known nation branding practitioner. In the Spring of 1993, Aharoni was appointed to serve under then-Foreign Minister Simon Peres, as policy assistant to Israel’s chief negotiator with the Palestinians. In that role, he took place in the back-channel negotiations between the two nations in Europe, leading to the signing of the Oslo Accords, where in September of that same year, he was present as a member of Israel’s official delegation to the White House.
Aharoni served in Israel’s consulates in Los Angeles and then New York, assuming the position several weeks prior to the terror attacks of 9/11. As the head of the department, Aharoni oversaw the operation of Israel’s largest public diplomacy and media relations apparatus worldwide.
Ambassador Aharoni will share insight into the lasting tie between the sacrifice of the fallen and the continued existence of a vibrant and dynamic nation.
For more information on the Israel Today series, visit www.JewishVA.org/IsraelToday.
Ohef Sholom Temple is located at 530 Raleigh Avenue in Norfolk.