On Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, Im Tirtzu activists from Hebrew University went to Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem to say Kaddish for the “last of kin” – Holocaust survivors who died fighting in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and have no living relatives to mourn them.
In addition, for the fourth consecutive year, Im Tirtzu helped organize a memorial ceremony on Yom HaZikaron for the fallen haredi (ultra-Orthodox) soldiers.
Prior to this initiative, there was no commemoration for the fallen haredi soldiers due to the stigma in the haredi community against IDF service.
Four years ago, when the first ceremony was held, there were 30 people in attendance. This year, there were hundreds of people who came out to pay their respects.
