Today (Tuesday) is יום העצמאות Yom Ha'Atzma'ut ("Independence Day") here in Israel. So we are celebrating Israel's 62nd birthday today. Most businesses (including Berlitz!) are closed today, except for some restaurants and, of course, gas stations.
Every year, Yom Ha'Atzma'ut is preceded immediately by יום הזכרון Yom HaZikaron ("Memory Day"), when we remember all the many people, soldiers and civilians, who died in Israel's wars and terror attacks. It's a very solemn day, since nearly every family here has at least one loved one whom they are remembering. The only programs on TV are those showing grieving
families and telling about their loss. Men are at least as likely to be seen openly crying as women -- army buddies comfort each other with warm hugs.
At the end of the day, to mark the transition from "Memorial Day" to "Independence Day", every year there is a huge nationally televised ceremony held on הר הרצל Har Herzl ("Mt. Herzl") in Jerusalem. The proceedings start solemnly, with bugles heralding the entrance of important dignitaries. The Speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) gave a speech. With much pomp and circumstance, the ceremony continues. Each year, Israeli citizens from diverse backgrounds are chosen to light 12 torches, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. Each person gives a short speech, always ending with ולתפארת מדינת ישראל ultiferet m'dinat Yisrael "and to the glory of the State of Israel") just before lighting the torch.
The ceremony then progresses to a joyous celebration of "Independence Day", with live music and elaborate professional dances. The theme this year was the 150th birthday of Theodor Herzl, the real founder of the State of Israel, even though he died more than 40 years before it was actually achieved. At one point, people carrying flags formed a picture of Herzl's profile on the large open area!
Today, David and I decided to take a drive to the Lower Galil (the more southern parts of Galilee), trying out a couple of roads that we had never driven on before. After traveling through the part of עמק יזרעאל Emek Yizre'el ("The Jezreel Valley"), we passed through Afula and took the highway from there to נצרת Natzeret ("Nazareth"). We had never been on this beautiful 4-lane highway before, and part of it is apparently quite new, since it's only shown as dotted lines on my relatively recent map. The new part is very dramatic, too! It rises on a bridge across the face of a canyon and then enters a tunnel (actually TWO tunnels, one for traffic in each direction), after which it follows another narrow valley up to Natzeret. Here's a picture of the bridge:
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