Yom Hazikaron memorial
Melbourne's Jewish community remembered and honoured fallen soldiers and victims of terror at a moving commemoration for Yom Hazikaron.
Eliyahu “Eli” Kay, the South African oleh with family in Australia who studied in Melbourne before making aliyah, was remembered at an emotional service on Tuesday night, as the community marked Yom Hazikaron.
The 23-year-old, who was gunned down in the Old City last November, was one of four fallen members of the IDF and victims of terror, whose lives were recalled at the ceremony and who had candles lit in their memory at Robert Blackwood Hall.
More than 24,000 people have been killed in Israel’s defence or simply for living there – and all were in the hearts and prayers of the hundreds who attended the commemoration organised by Zionism Victoria, or who watched the live stream.
The other three victims honoured with candle-lightings were Sergeant Israel Ehrlichman, Corporal Eliyahu Elkayam and First Lieutenant Roee Peles.
Addressing the commemoration, Zionism Victoria president Yossi Goldfarb noted that next month marks the 40th anniversary of the start of the First Lebanon War in which over 650 Israelis were killed, and recalled his own time serving in the IDF in Lebanon.
Reflecting on the recent spate of fatal terror attacks, he added, “We all hope and pray that we will no longer need to enter dark places, that peace will reign, and the last name on the list for this year becomes the last name on the list permanently.”
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