Masa Israel Journey will hold its 17th annual Yom HaZikaron ceremony at Yad La-Shiryon in Latrun (Israel's official memorial site), bringing together more than 4,500 expected attendees in what will be the largest English-language commemoration of its kind, with countless more viewers participating online.
This year's event carries heightened significance amid the continuing aftermath of the October 7 attacks, the ongoing war, and increasing global antisemitism. Under the theme "Together We Remember," the ceremony will provide a space for collective mourning during these challenging times for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.
The commemoration will feature government representatives, including Yossi Fuchs, Cabinet Secretary of the Government of Israel, alongside Jewish community leaders such as Rebecca Caspi, Senior VP of Global Operations and Director General of JFNA Israel, and Yehudah Setton, CEO of The Jewish Agency for Israel.
"On Yom Hazikaron, we come together with deep sadness and a strong sense of responsibility. We remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for the State of Israel. Their memory serves as a moral compass, connecting the past to the future," Major General (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, said.
The ceremony will honor several fallen individuals, including Captain (posthumously) Daniel Peretz, a South African-born platoon commander whose body remains in Gaza. The event will also memorialize Major General Ronny Ganizat, a French combat soldier and Masa alumnus who fell in South Lebanon on September 10, 2024, leaving behind a wife and young children.
Among others to be remembered is Sergeant Ilan Cohen, an Argentinian combat soldier and Masa alumnus who fell in Gaza on May 13, 2024, while participating in an operation that recovered four kidnapped bodies.
The ceremony will also honor Hersh Goldberg-Polin, born in Berkeley, California, who was kidnapped from the Nova Festival and later killed in Hamas captivity, with his body recovered on September 1, 2024. His mother Rachel has become one of the most prominent advocates for hostage families.
Brazilian-born Bruna Valeanu, who made aliyah in 2014 and served as a shooting instructor in the Israeli military, will be remembered after being murdered at the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023. Fellow Brazilian Hanani Glazer, who became a lone soldier in the Golani brigade at age 16, will also be commemorated after being killed when terrorists attacked a shelter where he was hiding near Kibbutz Re'im.
Additionally, Ukraine-born Inspector Andrei Poshibai, who served in the Southern Region of the Israeli Police, will be honored for his heroism in rescuing people from the Nova Festival before being killed in a confrontation with terrorists.
Meir Holtz, CEO of Masa Israel Journey, emphasized the importance of the multilingual ceremony: "Yom HaZikaron, our Day of Remembrance, is an essential part of Israel and the Jewish people. Each year, we hold the ceremony in English and other languages, primarily to make this day accessible to Masa fellows in Israel — in a language they understand and with content they can relate to. This year, this goal feels more important than ever. The Jewish people are at a pivotal moment, our unity and solidarity are critical. That's why this year's ceremony theme is — 'Together We Remember'. 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."
Current Masa fellows will also participate by honoring their personal connections to fallen loved ones, including Captain Omer Nautra, a soldier still held in Gaza whose childhood friend Abigail will speak at the ceremony, and Yogev Pezi, an Israeli who served as a Shaliach (emissary) at a US Jewish summer camp where he befriended Sofia, an American now participating in a Masa program in Israel.
The solemn event will conclude with wreaths laid by bereaved families and representatives from the Israeli government, Knesset, and global Jewish organizations including Keren Ha-Yesod and JFNA.
