Israel’s 65th Commemorated at Katz JCC

It was part independence celebration, part memorial, as hundreds of members of the local Jewish community gathered to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the founding of Israel in a Yom Hazikaron ceremony at the Katz JCC Monday evening.

Amid the symbols of the evening—a single candle lit inside a soldier’s helmet, the wail of an air raid siren and prayers and poems—those gathered took time to honor the more than 23,000 fallen soliders of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), as well as local IDF veterans and Jewish veterans of the American military forces, for their sacrifice in helping to bring about the Jewish state and keep it safe since its founding after World War II.

“Tonight, no matter what our connection is, we all stand together as a community to honor our homeland,” said Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey President Betty Adler. “Tonight, we are together in spirit, together in hope, together in prayer, together in joy.”