When the siren wails across the country on Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day — I hear it as a cry; like a shofar, it is a prayer beyond words.

This year — our third Memorial Day since October 7, with Israel still at war and losses continuing — words feel especially elusive. What remains is the sound of silence, deep pain and heartbreak. 

We are reminded of Aaron the High Priest, who stood in silence after his sons were tragically killed: “And Aaron held his peace,” reads the book of Leviticus. Shocked, broken, confused, and justifiably angry, Aaron did not speak. No words could articulate the protest or justify the pain. 

We in Israel are absorbing the intensity of the moment and its full, incomprehensible weight. We grapple with grief, memory, and longing; we struggle to express what we feel. Everything feels blurred. We are silent because there are no words........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)