The next two days are designed to help us understand the human cost of the first Jewish sovereign nation in more than two thousand years. Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut (Remembrance Day and Independence Day) are connected in real time.

On many Jewish occasions, there is a recollection of difficult times during happy moments in our lives (like mentioning those who have passed away, and stepping on the glass to remember the destruction of the Temple at weddings). On these days, we interrupt the darkness of mourning for all of the souls who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel, and pierce the darkness with the notion that all of those lives did not die in vain, but instead led to the incredible nation called Israel, and provided all Jews, anywhere in the world, a safe haven from persecution and antisemitism.

All of us who love Israel—all of us who live in Israel—owe a debt of gratitude to all of those whom we remember, for their sacrifice led to our freedom. On the second Yom HaZikaron/Yom HaAtzmaut commemoration after October 7, we must keep all of those who were murdered on that day—civilians and military—deeply in our hearts, and yearn for the return of the hostages and the end of fighting in Gaza.

The deepest desire of our people is to have no new names added to the list of fallen soldiers, and for all people, from the four corners of the earth, to live in harmony. Am Yisrael Chai.