Nostalgia For The Past: Independence Day |
On May 2, 1968, my parents and my husband left me behind in Alonei Yitzchak to attend the IDF parade in Jerusalem for Israel’s 20th Independence Day. I didn’t go with them because I was heavily pregnant, due to give birth at any moment. Ironically, that was exactly why my parents were there—to be with ME. Yet, as tourists, they had seats in the VIP stands, and I was the one left behind. I had no choice, but I resented it.
The military parade in Jerusalem was chosen as the first-ever broadcast of Israeli television. Fortunately, one person in the youth village where we lived owned a television, so I was able to watch it live in black and white, while my parents and husband experienced it in vivid color and in person. It was also the first time I “met” Hayim Yavin, the legendary news broadcaster with his soothing baritone voice. For many years, I fell asleep to his voice, and even today, the news still lulls me to sleep.
More than half a million people lined the streets of what was then newly united Jerusalem, under clear skies, as the parade wound its way through the city. The Air Force put on an impressive display of power and precision. The parade itself was controversial—many questioned whether such a show of military strength was appropriate, arguing that it resembled the displays of dictatorships.
My husband and parents sat in a special section arranged by the AACI on Givat HaMivtar. They were thrilled to see, up close, the President, the Prime Minister, and even Moshe Dayan in uniform. They also saw leaders from Muslim and Christian communities in their religious attire, all standing for “Hatikvah.” They were especially impressed by the Air Force flyovers—jets releasing blue and white smoke to form the number twenty in the sky. My mother was particularly struck by the sight of women soldiers marching with rifles.
There was heavy traffic, but they wisely........