Shaul and Mina Sterngast, who lived Krakow, had eight children. One of them, Romek, was my grandfather. He caught the Zionist bug, as did some of his siblings, and together they made aliyah to Mandatory Palestine before World War II. The rest of the family stayed in Poland. They were rounded up in the ghetto and then, like the entire community, were murdered in Auschwitz. Their execution at the gas chambers was also the death of humanity, justice, and morality. 

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I visited the home of my family this week. It still stands. For a moment, I could imagine the kids hurriedly descending the wooden stairs as they headed down to play in the yard or the special aura one would sense when the household's Shabbat preparations got underway. 

But it was also easy to imagine how the family members were brutally hit as they were forced down those very stairs. When I entered the main hall in the Auschwitz crematorium, with 16 battalion commanders from the IDF standing next to me, I was overcome with emotion. I know them personally; they represent what's best about Israelis. They decided to dedicate their lives to the most important thing there is. Many had family members who were murdered in the Holocaust, and now – having flown directly from Tel Aviv and their shoes still bearing some dust from the Land of Israel – they stand at the shallowest and darkest place in human history as the spearhead of Israel's defense force.

At the very place where our families became ashes, we now stand tall as armed soldiers; in the very place where our clothes had a yellow Star of David, we now have insignia to mark the operations and wars in which we defeated our enemies - in the distant past or in the present.  Each one of the battalion commanders and officers represents unique military power; each one has fought and defended Israel and each one continues to engage in combat and fight the threats facing our country, all the while working to bolster the armed forces. 

As we stand in the cabins of death, we feel an increased sense of duty. From here one cannot escape the thought that we have a treasure in Israel – its institutions, its military, and its culture, as well as all of its accomplishments – and that its safeguarding must be of paramount concern. 

The familial history of each and every one of us takes on a new and special meaning here. My family members, like those of the commanders who joined me, could not have imagined that just three hours away by plane from the very place where Jews were to be annahilated, the Jewish people would have a flourishing and developed state that is based on the Jewish values and is able to defend itself. We are blessed to have our own military that stands out as one of the strongest, as a moral and professional force; we are privileged to serve in it.

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IDF soldiers, commanders and officers: Eighteen-year-old pioneer Moshe Berski came to Israel with his sister in 1913 and joined Kibbutz Degania. He was murdered in 1913 by Arab rioters as he was delivering medications to a fellow kibbutz member.

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Degania officials, who had to break the devastating news to his parents in Russia, were taken aback by the response sent by his father: "Dear brethren! What we were afraid of has happened and we are heartbroken. But I believe that your spirit will not fail and you must not fall back, God forbid. On the contrary! I hope that the memory of my late son will bolster you as you wage this sacred war that is finally bringing our great idea to life, the idea for which my son sacrificed his life."

Berski was Degania's first fallen member and since then, every city nationwide has been riddled with gravestones and national memorials – monuments that remind us of the blood with which we have paid for becoming a safe and secure country.

The nation of Israel has grown in this country, developing this unique country and marking exceptional achievements. But the memory of the fallen is always with us and, as Berski's father commanded, must be our source of strength.

Memorial Day calls on all Israelis to unite. It slows down our hectic routines and makes every Israeli take the time to stop and think of the fallen and the bereaved families; stop and share the imaginable pain they shoulder daily.

This pain never fades. It is always there, searing and sharp, clouding every happy moment.

This pain, cruel as it is, is also a mark of the freedom, independence and security Israeli citizens enjoy.

IDF commanders and soldiers are always vigilant, detecting and destroying the enemy regardless of whether it is a terrorist cell lurking yards away from a border-adjacent community, or an enemy hundreds of miles away. IDF commanders and soldiers work tirelessly in all sectors, developing means and methods of warfare, and embarking on operations to safeguard the country. But our first weapon will forever be the fighting spirit, the willingness to go to battle, and the quality of the people in our ranks.

It is in this spirit, which also entails the value of mutual guarantee, that we must care for the wounded and the bereaved and ensure our missing and captives return to their country and their families.

The resilience demonstrated by the Berski family illustrates an exemplary dedication to values and commitment, as evident by the second part of the letter, which reads: "We are sending you our second son to stand for our fallen son. Moshe's death means were are all coming." Shalom, Moshe's brother, made aliyah shortly after and was soon followed by the rest of the family.

IDF soldiers, commanders and officers – giving back to the state should be an integral part of life for every Israeli citizen. We, as those in IDF uniforms, are privileged to do so.

Together with you, I embrace the bereaved families. May the fallen's memory be our moral compass.

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After the Allies liberated the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, the notes of "Hatikvah" arose from the ruins the evil created. The survivors were singing, and it was like a prophecy was being fulfilled.

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They sang to the memory of the glorious heritage that had been shoved onto railway cars and crammed into furnaces, and for the entire communities forced to strip down before they were slaughtered in forests, on marches, and in camps. They sang for entire families, from the eldest grandparents to the youngest grandchildren, who were suffocated to death when the iron doors clanged brutally shut; for the children ripped out of their mothers' arms and sent into death gullies by a volley of gunshots, buried before they even started to live.

They sang for the sake of an entire people who were nearly lost and who in an instant they became the ones to carry on. They, over whose heads death had been hovering, rose up from hell and founded a national home.

"As long as within our hearts," as Hatikvah says, there is meaning, purpose, and will, intentions will turn into actions. They made aliyah to the Land of Israel as refugees, and reshaped and recreated their fate. They joined the Zionist Yishuv, and together they revived the legacy and formed a new vision, established communities and families, and founded a generation that had and has the privilege of being "a free people in their land."

We are still on our way to fortifying our freedom, and we, the IDF and its commanders, are implementing that vision by standing guard, and by serving as a defensive force that ensures the Jewish people's existence in their land.

But we will always be committed to another mission we must continue to carry out: to learn the story of those murdered, to hear the survivors' testimonies, and to make their voice heard for generations to come.

The survivors sang "Hatikvah," and we are fulfilling it daily in the defense and security we provide the citizens of Israel.

May the memory of the 6 million be a blessing.

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The sirens blaring as Israel marks Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day commands that we distinguish this day from all others. Their wail is a cry for the loss and the pain, and a command to put aside anything that is not essential and focus solely on the duty to remember.

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Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice on their path so that our path is safe. Remember those who chose to be at the tip of the spear, in combat units, risking life and limb to ensure the generations to come. Remember all the men and women, in all the units, who served as the bulwark for our country.

The siren echoes nationwide to remind us all we are safe thanks to generations of defenders. The sound spreads to every community and reminds us that community life, creation, and development would not have been possible without the dedication of the soldiers.

The sound permeates every school and synagogue, and underscores the duty of education for ethics and values, for volunteering for civil service, and for enlisting into meaningful combat service.

The siren's wail enters the hearts of those who lost close friends, the teacher who raised the girl who became an officer, the rabbi who taught the yeshiva student who volunteered for an elite unit, and the soldiers who lost their comrades.

The siren's wail also reaches the bereaved families and there – and only there – does it meet a cry that is louder and more heart-wrenching than its own. That is the sound of sorrow and the sound of strength. The sound of the most agonizing pain and the most awe-inspiring resilience.

This sound also reminds us all that we are surrounded by challenges that require we maintain a military that is always battle-ready; one ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow; one whose esprit de corps is such that it is ready to rise to any challenge.

This sound comes to us in a complex time of controversy, crisis, and distance and it calls to us – calls on us to come together and unite around our shared consensus: the memory of the fallen and the unity of the goal.

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On behalf of the IDF soldiers and officers, I salute the fallen and bereaved families, strengthen and embrace them and the wounded who bear the scars on their bodies and souls. I pledge that we will continue to spare no effort to ensure our missing and captives' safe return. We will continue to remember, to learn and to teach, and we will continue to fulfill our mission – to protect and defend. And to win.

May the memory of the fallen be blessed.

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Soldiers, commanders, and employees of the Israel Defense Forces – Holocaust Remembrance Day silences Israel and envelopes our country's streets in quiet.

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The day causes us to stop our daily routines and devote some thought to the most painful and brutal chapter of history as a whole and our people's history, in particular. It also reminds us that we cannot take anything for granted – not that we live in security and not the existence of Israel, a country that is the fulfillment of a dream of generations, a safe country, the national home of the Jewish people.

The concentration camp has been replaced by freedom; the walls of the ghetto by defended borders; the languages of the Diaspora by Hebrew, and the prison clothing by IDF uniforms. We overcame, we won, and we were rewarded with independence, but our ability to keep the memory alive comprises an inseparable part of that victory.

We remember the 6 million of our people who became Holocaust victims, pulled out of their homes, cut off from their families, stripped of their rights as free people until their identities were erased and they were marched, defenseless, toward death.

We remember the partisans, the rebels of the ghettos and the fighters in the Jewish Brigades who demonstrated immense courage and fought devotedly, willing to sacrifice themselves. We remember the Holocaust survivors who made aliyah and immediately entered the War of Independence and were killed in the battle to found and defend the state of Israel. We remembers the fighters who swore to rise from the ashes like the phoenix and drew on all their strength to fight in battles all over Israel, in every way, and gave their lives so we could have freedom.

We remember the Holocaust survivors who still live among us, the ones who experienced the devastation and were part of the resurrection, and who are privileged to see the home they built, the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who now live in peace and quiet in Israel – and are experiencing the great light that grew out of the darkness.

When the siren sounds, we IDF commanders and soldiers will stand strong alongside the survivors, proud of our uniform, proud of our job, and proud of the country. After a year in which we were unable to meet face to face, we will once again be offering a shoulder, a hug, and be able to look them in the eye and hear their personal stories and tales of courage firsthand. We will do what we have been commanded to do: pass on to the next generation the description of what was perpetrated and fulfill our obligation to preserve our independence and defend ourselves. We will continue to stand guard and ensure their vision of an independent, secure, prosperous country rooted in values.

May the memory of the 6 million be a blessing.

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The State of Israel is a strong, vibrant democracy. It is a source of power that is expressed in open public discourse, a plurality of opinions, and independent thinking, which is important to preserve and encourage. At the same time, there are issues that must remain beyond any controversy, chief among them bereavement and bereaved families. They need and deserve to be given special treatment.

In recent years, as well as in recent days, we have witnessed incidents in which bereaved families have come under attack and their grievous loss was used as fodder for these attacks. In other words, the very bereavement that is supposed to transcend any political argument has become a weapon with which to attack.

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This is a moral red line that must not be crossed and we must stand guard and ensure that it is not breached.

"They died so that we could live," we state in every memorial service, humbly acknowledging that the terrible price paid by bereaved families was exacted in the defense of the state and the public so that we can prosper and live in a safe democracy that allows for pluralism. This is a sacrifice that demands we honor and cherish it.

The fallen and the bereaved families are part of the IDF and part of the defensive shield that protects us all. Every soldier serving in the military and their families must know that when a soldier gives their life for the people, the people will protect and defend their honor and that of their families.

We have lost many soldiers and commanders and I keep their families close. I see the courage they demonstrate and like every commander, I see them as my very own family. Their pain cannot be exacerbated in any way and we must do everything in our power to alleviate it.

Bereaved families walk among us quietly, shrouded by the deepest sorrow. They may keep to themselves, but their pain is always present. We must set them apart, empathize and symmetrize with their pain and show them the respect they deserve as those who shoulder the defense of the state.

We must use every opportunity to honor and embrace bereaved families. We can disagree, argue, share a variety of opinions – but we must protect the families. It is our duty to ourselves, so we avoid sliding down the slippery slope of social separation, and it is the duty to them – a national, moral, and human duty.

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The following is an excerpt from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi's daily order to all military personnel.

It has been 25 years since three shots were fired at the heart of Tel Aviv, hitting Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z"l in the back. This act effectively shot the entire nation in the back, leaving it bleeding and wounded.

These three shots marked a fault line in Israeli society.

The shock and mourning over the murder were felt in every home across the length and breadth of Israel. From north to south, religious alongside secular, members of different denominations and religions. For one moment, it was precisely the controversy and grief that united Israeli society in paying respect to a man whose life story was woven into that of our country.

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Upon taking office the seventh Chief of Staff of the IDF in 1964, Rabin's first daily order read: "The IDF draws its power from the entire nation, and for the sake of the entire nation, it exists and works."

This message still resonates with us and the IDF implements it weekly. The IDF exists and works for the Israeli people: it protects them in the air, at sea, and on land; prevents border infiltrations, thwarts rocket fire, foils terrorist attacks, exposes threats, and destroys weapons that threaten the Israeli public.

The IDF also proves every day that it works for the Israel public by enhancing unity and social cohesion. The IDF proves that it is possible to hold different opinions and diverse beliefs and at the same time show comradery, friendship, and true partnership.

To ensure Israel's existence and its security we must continue to delve into the meaning of Rabin's murder as a symbol of the price hatred and division exacted from us, and we must remember that even in through controversy we must remain a united military serving a united people.

This is the IDF's unique esprit de corps, which was also prevalent among the military's rank under Rabin in the Six-Day War.

This spirit has been felt over the years in times of emergency and war, in times of peace or epidemic - a spirit that reminds everyone that we are one people that works to achieve one goal - state security, prosperity, and self-fulfillment for its citizens.

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One of the central lessons from that time is the ability to identify and interpret a given situation; to identify the enemy's patterns of behavior and deliver a worthy military response. Over the years the enemy in Lebanon grew more sophisticated, and gradually adopted a guerilla-style of warfare. It took the IDF a few years to diagnose and acknowledge this. It also took time to recognize the magnitude of the missile and rocket threat and to give it the proper weight in terms of our operational and technological response. 

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On the operational level, this is a key lesson – the need to be self-critical and highly introspective, to help the army adapt and adopt new operational methods. The ability to see the changing reality and provide a relevant response must be a way of life. 

The IDF modifies itself over time, and the army's multi-year plan "Tnufa" (Momentum), which incorporates the importance of adapting to change, set as a goal the need to greatly enhance the army's attack capabilities. The plan was formulated after a comprehensive and critical analysis of the state of our enemies on all fronts, defining most of them as "terrorist armies" heavily armed with missiles and rockets. The plan provides a response to these threats, incorporating compatible methods and weapons, streamlining cooperation between the various branches, training commanders and cultivating morale and values.

Advanced technology and modernization will facilitate substantial improvement to the IDF's offensive capabilities. The IDF is already prepared, as of now, for any scenario, and on the day the order is given will activate the entirety of its might wherever the enemy has taken up position, with an emphasis on urban areas. We will continue to monitor the changes and threats, and continue to improve our weapons and capabilities.

At all times I carry with me the image of my friends who fell on Lebanese soil, and I embrace their families. I also remember and salute the fighters of the South Lebanese Army, who fought shoulder to shoulder alongside us. It is our duty as a nation to remember them and help them. To remember, to recognize change and adapt to it – this is the lesson from our service in the security belt. It is our professional, national and moral obligation.

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This is the silence of an entire people, whose sons and daughters are all part of the ongoing battle for our independence and security. This is silence that commands us to stop – stop to remember, stop to tell the families we are with them, even in these difficult days in which we won't see them in person and won't crowd into the same row when the siren goes off.

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 We won't see you, but we will feel your pain. We won't stand beside you at a ceremony, but we will stand by you in every other sense. We stand at attention, bow our heads, and remember. We remember that we wear the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces, that we represent the values that the fallen embodied when they left us: commitment to the mission, devotion, comradeship, and a courageous spirit.

We remember them when we are on an operation in crowded alleyways, or during training drills, in preparation and during execution the events of the past bob up, along with the collective experience and the lessons learned – and behind each of those there are names and faces. We remember them when we patrol Israel far and wide; we remember and know that on this hilltop, someone took his last breath, but on the slope below a community thrives. On Tuesday evening, the flag will be lifted from half mast. Every one of its blue threads represents all IDF soldiers and commanders, who died to give us all life and security in the state of Israel.

Now we're on duty, and we have an obligation to fortify the nation's defense and offensive capabilities. In addition to the permanent effort to defend all our borders, we must push beyond the existing boundaries, innovate, and change.

The IDF is currently deployed across the country and is taking a central role in the battle against the corona pandemic. We are doing that as part of a national mission, out of deep solidarity and a sense of responsibility and innovation. In that spirit, we will work to improve the IDF's capabilities to put ourselves in a position to launch stronger offensives and provide better defenses. The IDF is the defensive shield of the state of Israel, and everyone who served or is currently serving should be proud of what the country has achieved, the part the IDF has played, and his or her own role.

In the name of all IDF soldiers and officers, I salute the fallen and make the commitment that we will do everything to bring our missing and captives back home, strengthen the bereaved families, embrace them, and promise that we will do everything we can to protect Israel and its citizens.

May the memory of the fallen be a blessing. 

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Eighty years have passed since World War II began, the biggest war of the modern era, a war that the brutal Nazi ideology made into the most murderous and despicable in human history. Families were uprooted from their homes, children were separated from their parents, the murder of Jews became routine, and a systematic plan of killing across an entire continent threatened to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth and eradicate its unique roots.

But the people, whose fate had apparently been decreed, managed to survive. More than that in the most troubled times, it sent Jewish soldiers to fight in the Allied armed forces or in the Jewish Brigades against the Nazi army, while ghetto warriors and partisans fought for their lives and their freedom, bare-handed. Many others fought a different, equally difficult battle to maintain their humanity. How they clung to their Jewish identity and to life with what little strength they had left is still an outstanding example for us. The survivors made their way to the land of Israel and began their lives anew here.

If we could hear the voices of those of our people who fell victim to hatred and anti-Semitism, we would heard them asking one thing of us – that we never be dependent on favors from anyone else. We, the commanders and soldiers of the IDF – past, present, and future – comprise the defensive forces that they prayed for on their way to the crematoria. For their sake, we make a commitment to continue telling their story. As the last generation privileged to hear their testimony first-hand, we will preserve every extant drawing and every diary page that survived, so their testimony can continue to echo for future generations. We will continue to fight for the nation's security to allow it to remain independent and flourish and so the generations to come can live here in comfort and security.

The yellow stars worn on lapels have been replaced by combat insignia, and a Star of David flies proudly on the flag of an independent and defended Israel.

With one hand, we salute the fallen, while we make a fist with the other, prepared to beat down every threat.

May the memory of the 6 million be a blessing.

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