Masa Israel Journey on Tuesday hosted its annual Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day ceremony.
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Abiding by the Health Ministry's COVID-19 safety regulations, the ceremony was held virtually and broadcast live on Masa's Facebook page.
Masa's ceremony was the largest English-language Memorial Day event and was broadcast globally. Hosted annually in Latrun, Israel, the program was partially pre-recorded this year at the memorial site.
Hundreds of thousands of Jews tuned-in to the event, including Masa Israel fellows and alumni and Jewish communities and leaders from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, the former Soviet Union and more.
The ceremony, which has been held for over a decade, was dedicated to lone soldiers and members of the Diaspora community for their contributions to Israel's story.
Each year, 12,000 Masa fellows arrive in Israel for personal and professional journeys, and they report that the Memorial Day Ceremony is one of the most significant moments of their experience. Fellows across Israel gathered together for community screenings of the ceremony, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.
Bereaved families from the Diaspora were an integral part of the ceremony. Videos were transmitted about the stories of their fallen soldiers and victims of terror. This year's program shared the stories of Lt. Alex Singer, Staff Sgt. Yonatan (Sergei) Vlasyuk, Sgt. Julie (Sarah) Weiner, and Staff Sgt. Johan Zerbib. A video message from bereaved mothers including Marsha Gladstone, the mother of Yoni Jesner, and Alicia Hoffman, the mother of Sergeant Alejandro Alexander, was also screened.
Benji Singer, brother of Lt. Alex Singer, recited the Kaddish mourner's prayer.
Against the backdrop of international flags representing the global Masa community, Fellows Hillel Schwartz from Sharon, Massachusetts and Ilan Leisorek from San Diego, California., lit memorial candles to honor Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
Masa Israel Acting CEO Ofer Gutman said, "Masa's Memorial Day ceremony has become a monumental event over the years. The event provides a unique opportunity for Jews from around the world and Israelis to commemorate Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror together.
"This ceremony connects the global Jewish community through the story and people of Israel. We are coming together through darkness and lifting one another up. At a time of global crisis, our unity is vital. This is the strength of our Jewish history and the strength of our Jewish future."
Masa Israel Journey is the largest immersive, long-term educational experience for young adults ages 18-30. On its programs that range from two months to a year, Masa offers an authentic, unmediated and challenging journey into Israeli society, culture, politics and history – and acts as the largest pipeline for the Jewish Diaspora to access the finest Israeli businesses, social enterprises and academic institutions. Since its 2004 founding by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and The Jewish Agency, Masa has served over 160,000 young people from more than 62 countries.
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