Melbourne’s 2016 Yom Hazikaron commemoration will take place Tuesday evening, 10 May 2016, at Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University, Clayton Campus. During this solemn ceremony, the community will collectively remember and honour the memory of the men and women who have fallen serving in Israel’s Defence Forces or who were victims of acts of terror.

This year’s commemoration will particularly mark the 10 years since the Second Lebanon War, 60 years since the Sinai Campaign and 40 years since the rescue of hijacked Air France passengers and crew from the Entebbe airport in Uganda. Sadly, as terror attacks against Israelis and Jews around the world have escalated, this too will be a focus of the ceremony.

It is a long-standing tradition of the Melbourne Yom Hazikaron commemoration that members of the community who have lost a family member or friend participate by sharing the story of their fallen loved one and lighting a memorial candle. The Yom Hazikaron co-hosting organisations invite members of the community who have a connection to a fallen soldier or a victim of terror to participate in this year’s ceremony by lighting a candle in his or her memory and/or sharing a story, poem or song related to their loved one. The fallen are included in the commemoration program, and those participating receive organised seating in the hall.

If you are interested in participating in this way or know of someone who has lost a family member or friend, please contact Eileen Freed at Zionism Victoria at efreed@zionismvictoria.org.au or 9272 5506.