Herzog: Fallen IDF soldiers embody Jewish value of mutual responsibility
Herzog said that those from abroad who fell in Israel’s wars, “embodied the foundational Jewish value of mutual responsibility between all members of the Jewish family.”
By JEREMY SHARONJewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog takes part in a Memorial Day ceremony(photo credit: YAD LASHIRION)
Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog paid tribute to immigrants from around the Jewish Diaspora and Jewish volunteers who were killed while serving in the IDF, during the MasaMemorial Day ceremony Monday night.The event was broadcast live without an audience due to the coronavirus epidemic.“Since 1948, young Jews have continued to come from around the world to help defend the Jewish homeland,” said Herzog in his speech at the event.“Many have paid the highest price of all, and today we mourn with their families and friends, and remember their smiles, their voices and their dreams.”Herzog said that those from abroad who fell in Israel’s wars, “embodied the foundational Jewish value of mutual responsibility between all members of the Jewish family.”He recalled the comments of his father Chaim Herzog who was an IDF general and later president of Israel, who “recalled the bravery of the many foreign volunteers and new immigrants who gave their lives in the fight to save Jerusalem and liberate it.”Herzog also mentioned the efforts the Jewish Agency is making in supporting Jewish communities abroad “and preserving the fabric of Jewish life” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.“From our [Jewish Agency] emissaries, to Masa participants who stayed here throughout, to mobilizing vital aid to communities on the verge of collapse, this commitment to mutual responsibility has strengthened the bonds between Israel and the global Jewish community,” he said.President Reuven Rivlin in his speech also paid tribute to Jewish volunteers and immigrants, “who chose to volunteer or enlist into the IDF in order to protect the people and the homeland.”
Said the president: “This is our opportunity to do them honor, to remember those lone soldiers who made a brave decision and whose lives were lost during their service.”He recalled Max Steinberg, a volunteer to the IDF. He was not a citizen, but fought in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and was killed during operations in the territory.“We wish to give strength and do honor to bereaved families and say ‘we remember them and we cherish them – every day, and today in particular.”
