Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill hosts moving memorial ceremony

(JNS) - At exactly 8 p.m. on April 29, a siren pierced the air across Israel. But this time, it was not a warning of incoming missiles. It marked the beginning of Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. 

In cities and towns nationwide, the country and its people paused - hearts heavy with grief and pride - to remember those who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel.

The moment was most poignantly felt at Jerusalem's historic Ammunition Hill, where 1,200 people gathered for an emotional English-language ceremony organized by The Michael Levin Base.

Ammunition Hill, site of a pivotal battle during the 1967 Six Day War, has since become a national memorial, and in recent years, a site for remembrance of the international and lone soldier communities.

Families of the fallen, lone soldiers, bereaved parents, national service volunteers and supporters from around the world stood shoulder to shoulder, united in sorrow and resilience. 

This year's program was dedicated in memory of First Sgt. Michael Levin, 22, a lone soldier from Philadelphia killed in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and Sara Blaustein, 53, a mother of four who made aliyah from New York with her husband, Norman, and was murdered in a 2001 terror attack near their home in Efrat. 

The ceremony, livestreamed globally, began with a minute of silence as Norman Blaustein lowered the Israeli flag to half-mast. Michael Levin's parents, Harriet and Mark Levin, lit the memorial torch.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, who made aliyah from New York in 1979 and served as a lone soldier in the IDF, began his address in multiple languages. Photographs of Oren in IDF uniform were shown on the screen as he spoke. 

"This is not only Israel's story, but a story shared with world Jewry," he said, underscoring the unique bridge connecting Diaspora Jews to Israel. Of the lone soldiers who came to serve from abroad, he said, "They left the land of their birth to come to the land of their birthright."

Some of the most powerful moments emerged from the stories of three bereaved mothers. Limor Rom, the mother of Jonathan (Yonatan) Rom, 23, who was born in South Carolina, grew up in Mevaseret Zion and was murdered at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, recounted how she had become an El Al flight attendant just to feel closer to him. 

"Time has passed, but only yesterday - and after ten years - we choose life," she said.

Dina Guedalia, whose son Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22, fell in battle at Kfar Aza, and Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim, 28, who was kidnapped from Kfar Aza, have a special bond. Yotam survived more than 60 days in captivity and managed to escape for five days but was killed accidentally by IDF fire.

They shared well-presented, powerful personal testimonies. Iris related how she had opened her home to the soldiers involved in the tragic incident. 

"Like the partisans who went into the woods, we never give up," she said, urging those present to continue the fight for Israel's future. 

The two women were seated near each other. Their warm embrace after each addressed the audience was an emotional moment.

Staff Sgt. A, a former lone soldier from New Jersey, asked that his name not be shared. He spoke of how the words of Entebbe hero Yoni Netanyahu, "Live a life of purpose," had inspired him to volunteer. "The fallen are not victims, but heroes," he said, adding that they should be remembered "not with pity, but gratitude."

Rabbi Moshe E. Scheiner, spiritual leader of the Palm Beach Synagogue, brought 35 members of his congregation to the ceremony following a trip to Poland on the March of the Living. Drawing on Jewish teachings, he spoke of unity: "One speck of sand may be small, but together, the sand can hold back a raging ocean."

The IDF Rabbinical Choir moved the audience with musical interludes, and the program concluded with the recitation of "El Malei Rachamim," the Prayer for the IDF, and the national anthem, Hatikvah.

"This is the place to connect the dots," said Alon Wald, head of operations at Ammunition Hill, whose father fell heroically in the 1967 battle. "People came from all over the world, many lone soldier families. It's not just Israel's story - it's a global Jewish story."

Stacie Stufflebeam, a mother of lone soldiers and director of The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation, added, "Especially now with the war going on, I must be in Israel. We have to be here." Harriet Levin echoed her resilience: "We are so strong. They tried to destroy us before. We are still here - and we will prevail."

The event was made possible through the support, inter alia, of the Blaustein family, the Aviv Foundation, The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation, and Anne and Arthur Gober. The choice of Ammunition Hill added historical weight and symbolic resonance to a memorable and meaningful ceremony.