Mourning Soldiers and Victims of Terror

Today, we at ICJA, joined the Jewish people and State of Israel in mourning 23,447 fallen IDF soldiers and over 2,000 victims of terror. In a powerful tribute to these fallen soldiers and victims of terror on Yom HaZikaron 5776, we demonstrated for four IDF paratroopers who joined us today that our school and Chicago Jewish community is deeply connected to Israel. We were honored to have four chayalim from Friends of IDF join our program, who, as Rabbi Matanky explained, donned “bigdei kodesh,” the holy IDF uniform.

The students and soldiers recited Yizkor for fallen soldiers, Tehillim, Kel Maleh Rachamim, Mishaberach, Tefillah l’shalom l’medinah, HaTikvah and Ani Maamin.

Watch a video of the program here

In addition, students were moved by videos of families and friends mourning their loved ones and specifically focused on one fallen soldier, Binaya Sarel,

and one victim of terror, Malachi Rosenfeld.

Student drawings of the two were posted in the gym.

Many thanks to Mrs. Moriah Berman, Rabbi Berman, the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago and Moriah Berman’s senior boys’ Ivrit class, especially Josh Polster. Thank you to Margalit Pogonitz for doing a lovely job as our emcee and thank you to Tamir Oppenheim, executive director of the Midwest Region’s FIDF, for arranging to bring four Tzanchanim (paratroopers) from the IDF to join us.