Commemorations and celebrations online
'Although the tyranny of distance and the coronavirus pandemic will keep us physically apart, our hearts, as proud Australian Jews and Zionists, shall always beat to Jerusalem'.
MEMBERS of the Sydney Jewish community are invited to come together from their homes next week to mark both a day of sorrow and a day of celebration.
At 7pm on Monday, April 27, the Zionist Council of NSW (ZCNSW) will honour Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror with a virtual Yom Hazikaron ceremony that will be live-streamed on its Facebook page featuring guest speakers from Israel.
“We here, in the safety and comfort of New South Wales and Australia, stand together, shoulder to shoulder, unwavering, with our brothers and sisters in the State of Israel, for it is only because of their sacrifices, that we can do so as free Jews and proud Zionists,” ZCNSW president Richard Balkin said.
“So, just as we will come together, albeit at a social distance from our homes this Yom Hazikaron, to honour, mourn and pay respects to Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, so too will we rise on Yom Ha’atzmaut, to marvel in and celebrate the 72 years of independence of the modern Jewish state, and all its inspiring achievements.”
The ZCNSW’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations will begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday, April 28, with a live virtual tefillah featuring synagogues and youth movements in our community.
The festivities will continue the next day on Wednesday, April 29 with “Al Ha’esh”, where community members are encouraged to cook up their favourite Israeli meals on the barbecue, eat, dance and celebrate, and share their pictures on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #alhaesh.
Meanwhile, the ZCNSW is calling for the community to vote for their top five Israeli songs of any decade for its “Top 72 Hits” countdown.
Balkin said these events will provide a “meaningful and creative way for our community to engage and feel connected with the State of Israel”.
“Although the tyranny of distance and the coronavirus pandemic will keep us physically apart this year, our hearts, as proud Australian Jews and Zionists, shall always beat to Jerusalem and the unbreakable bond between our two nations.”
Log on to the events at www.facebook.com/ZionistCouncilNSW. To vote in the Top 72 Hits countdown, visit www.zionistcouncil.com.au/top-72-hits.
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