April 30, 2004

A Senior reflects on the experience of Israel's independence day in the homeland

The following is a letter that senior Ayelet Katz wrote to her father in Hebrew after spending Yom HaAtzmaut on Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in Israel.

Tonight, the eve of Yom HaAtzmaut, there was a ceremony for the end of Yom HaZikaron. They organized it so nicely next to the synagogue with palm trees and flags on every tree, and video screens showing what was happening on the stage. Then they read remembrance poems, and they lowered the flag all the way.

Then, the happy music started and there was a bicycle competition for the children and evening prayers in the synagogue.

And then everyone returned and the Yom HaAtzmaut ceremony began. The children performed and sang a prayer for the state of Israel. We danced (with a Mechitza) and they did a performance with flags.

And, the coolest thing was a performance of little boys on unicycles. That was really amazing!

Then we sang Hatikvah, and it was so nice to see the flag flying high with blue light reflecting off of it, and darkness outside and everyone singing.

Then there were fireworks and after that we went to the dining hall, which I set for dinner. We used special blue and white tablecloths and special napkins, and special food, and then they said a special Kiddush for Yom HaAtzmaut, and there was music—it was really quite the celebration.

Then my group served the dessert, and now we’re just having a blast, and tomorrow we go on a hike!

So, that’s what we did here, and it was so much fun and I don’t want to leave the program in Israel!

It really is the most fun possible!