This day is called “Memorial Day”
And a siren is blown.
And standing at attention—
They talk about “them”
That gave everything
That sacrificed.
And they are truly many
Very many—too many—
Names…

Junior Natalie Stein read this poem and a two minute siren was sounded as the entire school stood to honor our fallen soldiers, אלו שנפלו, on Yom Ha-Zikaron. Many of our students read the names of the young men and women who fell in war, memorial candles were lit and 18 flags, each representing IDF units were carried by students and each unit’s name was called aloud. While the day marks loss of life and the pain that accompanies that, we were invigorated by two powerful speeches given by First Sergeant Erez Dimant and Corporal Simon Farhi.

Erez, who is only 22, spoke of his special unit, the elite Maglan Forces, a division of צנחנים , the paratroopers. He stressed the camaraderie and the drive to protect our nation not because of heroic ambitions but because “…it’s our way of life.”  Erez shared humorous anecdotes that made us laugh, even while describing his daunting missions in Lebanon or in telling us about the tragic death of his closest friend, Yosef Goodman z”l.  

Simon, (‘98), shared candid stories about his years in Ramaz. His experiences were so similar to our students’ that they found it remarkable to hear how he “adjusted” to army life, especially as he described missions in Lebanon with his unit in the  Golani Brigade. Simon lost several close friends, Doron z”l, Eyal z”l, and Avi, z”l.  

Simon and Erez both believe in moving forward with a strong belief in the future. Simon noted that a most popular song, “Bat 60” by Subliminal, a hip-hop group, captures the essence of the mood in Israel,

העבר מאחריה היא צופה אל הבאות

The past is behind her, she is looking toward the things to come.

Please click on “Remembering the Fallen” to listen to Erez & Simon, to watch the film about Yosef Goodman z”l and to listen to the beautiful rendition of כוכבים מליון, sung by Talia Lefkowitz, Sophie Lee Landau and Rosie Yadid.