{"id":1663,"date":"2025-04-29T20:41:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T20:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/?post_type=event&#038;p=1663"},"modified":"2025-09-20T15:55:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T15:55:41","slug":"yom-hazikaron-2025-at-the-motj","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/event\/yom-hazikaron-2025-at-the-motj\/","title":{"rendered":"At the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, Grief Turns to Resolve on Yom HaZikaron"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":1688,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-1663","event","type-event","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"type":"full","external_link":null,"headers_main_image":null,"date":"20250429","time":"","booking_link":"","carousel":[1688,1686,1684,1682,1680,1678,1676,1674,1672,1670,1668,1666,1664],"headline":"At the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, Grief Turns to Resolve on Yom HaZikaron","subtitle":"Dafna Russo stood at the podium at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, telling a story she never thought would leave her lips. \u201cHe stayed with us for maybe two minutes,\u201d she recalled quietly, speaking of her husband Uri, who was murdered defending their home at Kibbutz Kfar Azza on October 7. \u201cThen we heard the door close. And the girls asked me, \u2018Is Dad gone?\u2019 I said, \u2018No, Dad doesn\u2019t go without saying goodbye.\u2019 That was the last we heard of him.\u201d","meta":null,"description":"Her voice broke\u2014but only for a moment. \u201cI never imagined we would be among the bereaved,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we are, and we will continue Uri\u2019s legacy.\u201d\r\n\r\nMore than 400 people gathered in the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem\u2019s Ed Snyder Auditorium, where they listened in reverent silence as Russo shared her story\u2014one of several that anchored a heart-wrenching Yom HaZikaron memorial ceremony organized in partnership with the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. This year, in the shadow of October 7 and the Iron Swords War, the grief in the room was palpable\u2014and freshly lived.\r\n\r\nTheir stories were heard far and wide that night, as the ceremony marked the largest Yom HaZikaron commemoration held in English. It was livestreamed on The Jerusalem Post\u2019s website.\r\n\r\nThe event, now in its third year of partnership between the museum and the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, was not just a night of remembrance. It was an evening of national soul-searching and sacred responsibility.\r\n\r\n\u201cIn my 40 years of service, I stared directly into the eyes of the enemy,\u201d said former Mossad Director Yossi Cohen, who now serves as President of the IDF Widows &amp; Orphans Organization\u2019s Friends Association. \u201cBut the truest bravery I have witnessed comes from the families left behind. They show heroism every single day by enduring, remembering, and continuing to live with purpose.\u201d\r\n\r\nCohen, who lost two cousins in the Iron Swords War, spoke with quiet conviction. \u201cWe gather here in solemn reverence, united by the profound pain of loss and the sacred duty to honor those who gave their lives for the State of Israel. Each fallen soldier, each victim of terrorism, is not only a hero but a cherished member of our broader family, whose absence we profoundly feel and whose courage continues to inspire us all.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe moment's weight was not lost on Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel\u2019s Permanent Representative to the UN. \u201cWe are here not only to mourn but to commit,\u201d he said. \u201cTo ensure the world sees not just our tears, but our strength.\u201d\r\nThe ceremony also highlighted those whose loved ones are still missing. \u201cFifty-nine of our beloved remain held hostage by Hamas,\u201d Cohen reminded the audience. \u201cThis national mission must remain at the forefront of our consciousness. We owe it to them, to their families, and to the values our fallen heroes gave their lives for.\u201d\r\n\r\nLarry A. Mizel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, emphasized the institution\u2019s moral obligation to amplify these stories. \u201cTonight, let us carry forward the memory of the fallen\u2014not only in silence, but in purpose. Let us turn our sorrow into unity, and our unity into strength. May their memories be a blessing, and may the future we build together be one of peace.\u201d\r\nSince October 7, the weight of these stories has felt almost omnipresent, as the nation is still reeling from that tragic day and the brutal war that ensued.\r\n\r\nShlomi Nahumson, CEO of the IDFWO, added, \u201cSince October 7, more than 730 children have been orphaned, and 315 men and women have been widowed. It is our obligation\u2014not only as the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, but also as the entire Jewish nation\u2014to stand by the families left behind and support them.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs the final candle was lit and the memorial prayer rose through the atrium, Cohen offered closing words that left a lasting imprint: \u201cAs we stand together in silence, I hear the voices of [my cousins] urging us on\u2014telling us to transform grief into strength, to build a future rooted in responsibility, unity, and hope.\u201d\r\n\r\nFrom the voices of orphans and widows to the highest halls of Israeli leadership, one message echoed throughout the night: We remember. We mourn. And we will carry on.","short_description":"An intimate evening of national soul-searching and sacred responsibility.","good_to_know":"","additional_content_icon":"file","additional_content":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>At the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, Grief Turns to Resolve on Yom HaZikaron - MOTJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, Grief Turns to Resolve on Yom HaZikaron - MOTJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/yom-hazikaron-2025-at-the-motj\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MOTJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" 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