Masa Israel Journey, an organization that brings Jewish youth to Israel for educational and work programs, held its 16th annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Yad L'Shiryon Armored Corps Memorial Museum in Latrun on Sunday. The theme of this year's ceremony is "We Are One".
This event, "the largest of its kind conducted in English," attracted over 5,000 attendees and countless viewers worldwide. This year's observance came at a particularly poignant time following the October 7 Massacre, the ongoing war, and the sharp increase in global antisemitism. As Yael Sahar Rubinstein, acting CEO of Masa Israel Journey, stated: "At Masa, it is extremely important to us that we recognize we are one people, wherever we are, and if there is anything to learn from these past months, it is that we need to stay united."
The ceremony honored Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror under the theme "We Are One." Notable attendees included government representatives such as Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Jewish leaders such as Senior VP, Global Operations & Director General, JFNA Israel Rebecca Caspi, and Amira Ahronoviz, the CEO and director general of The Jewish Agency for Israel.
The ceremony was live-streamed to a global audience with speeches of the many dignitaries.
Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, reflected: "On the eve of Memorial Day, we connect to the living memory of the fallen who linked their fate with the State of Israel, sacrificing their lives to defend and uphold it...We will remember the fallen of Israel's battles with respect, pain, longing, and gratitude, and we will do everything to be worthy of their sacrifice."
The ceremony shared the powerful stories of fallen soldiers and victims like Omer Balava, the America-born combat soldier who fell in battle on the northern border after being hit by Hezbollah fire, as well as Rose Lubin a border police officer who was killed in a stabbing attack in east Jerusalem. It also honored victims like Dr. Daniel Levy, who was born in Peru and was murdered in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7; and Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee, who were murdered in a terror attack in the Jordan Valley last year.
Masa alumni lit a commemorative torch for Nathan Leor Hai, a French national who tragically fell on October,7, and laid wreaths to pay tribute. A prayer was held for hostages' return, including Andrei Kozlov, a Masa alum from Russia who remains captive in Gaza.
As Rubinstein summarized: "This ceremony is for us to focus on the heroes, cherish the world they left behind, and try to be worthy of their sacrifice. May their memory be a blessing."
