page_title: Jewish holidays
section_title: Yom Hazikaron—Memorial Day
hierarchical_section_title: Jewish holidays / Israeli/Jewish national holidays and days of remembrance / Yom Hazikaron—Memorial Day
caption_attribution_description: English: a moment of silence during memorial day for the fatal casualties of Israel's wars עברית: דקת דומייה בעת הצפירה, יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ונפגעי פעולות האיבה בתל אביב.
context_page_description: Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim, are holidays observed in Judaism and by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar. They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from three sources: biblical mitzvot; rabbinic mandates; Jewish history and the history of the State of Israel.
  Jewish holidays occur on the same dates every year in the Hebrew calendar, but the dates vary in the Gregorian. This is because the Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, whereas the Gregorian is a solar calendar.
context_section_description: Yom Hazikaron: (nominally) 4 Iyar
  Yom Hazikaron (lit. "Memorial Day") is a day of remembrance of the fallen of Israel's wars. During the first years of Israel's independence, this remembrance was observed on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day) itself.  However, by 1951, the memorial observance was separated from the festive celebration of Independence Day and moved to its current date, the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut. Since 2000, the scope of the memorial has expanded to include civilians slain by acts of hostile terrorism.  Its full name is now יום הזכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה ("Day of Remembrance for the Fallen of the Battles of Israel and the Victims of Terror").
  Places of public entertainment are closed throughout Israel in recognition of the day.  Many schools, businesses and other institutions conduct memorial services on this day, and it is customary to visit the graves of fallen soldiers and to recite memorial prayers there.  The principal public observances are the evening opening ceremony at the Western Wall and the morning services of remembrance at military cemeteries throughout the country, each opened by the sounding of sirens.  The public observances conclude with the service at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl that serves as the transition to Yom Ha'atzmaut.
  Outside Israel, Yom HaZikaron observances are often folded into Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations.  Within Israel, Yom Hazikaron is always the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut, but that date moves to prevent violation of Sabbath prohibitions during the ceremonies of either day.  See following section for details.
caption: A moment of silence as the siren is sounded in Tel Aviv, Yom Hazikaron 2007
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