Israeli Independence Day

By Justine Hemmestad

“Look how a single candle can both defy light and define light.” – Anne Frank

First, there is Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

“On Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day,” says the White House website, “and during this week of solemn remembrance, we honor the blessed memories of the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were viciously slaughtered by the genocidal Nazi regime and their collaborators.”

Dr. Edith Eger says the reason she survived [the Holocaust] was to be able to guide others to be survivors and never victims. “I’m not a victim,” she says. “It's not my identity. It’s what was done to me. So that’s why it was important to me to do my work, what I do to revisit the places where I relived the experience. And then you change, like you change gears in a car - it makes noises, but then you have to release the clutch. So the question is: What are you holding onto? And what are you willing to let go of?”

Another exceptional story is that of Des Moines’ last Holocaust survivor, David Wolnerman, who was 13 when the Nazis took him to a labor camp from his birthplace in Mondzejow, Poland. David remembered the antisemitism he faced growing up, and going to a labor camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau where he was forced to work in the crematorium. Such Jewish oral stories are kept at the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines. 

The Nameless One says that the last of seven days of mourning is Remembrance Day, observed for fallen soldiers. 

Israelis owe the very existence of the Jewish state to the soldiers who sacrifice their lives for it since its inception.

For 24 hours on Remembrance Day, there is no public entertainment (no theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, etc.). 

Most notably, a siren that is heard throughout the country twice, as the entire nation observes a two-minute standstill of all traffic and daily activities. 

Remembrance Day, called Yom Hazikaron, isn’t a religious commemoration by the majority of Israelis, yet the siren inspires awe, much like any traditional religious ceremony.

In honor of Remembrance day, we bring you a few inspiring facts about the IDF:

The Israeli Defence force guards the Jewish state year round, ensuring safe and secure borders for all of Israel’s citizens.

Serving in the IDF is mandatory for most Israelis (women serve two years and men serve 3 years). Jews from all around the world come to Israel to serve in the army, even if they don’t have Israeli family.

The only time the IDF may be sent abroad is to assist in search and rescue missions after natural and humanitarian disasters.

Soldiers rise through the ranks via their own dedication, and familiar formalities in other armies are infrequently used in the IDF. 

A vegan-friendly army (one in five Israelis don’t eat meat), the IDF regularly accommodates soldiers’ needs, such as non-leather boots, wool-free berets, and plant-based food options at every meal on base.

The Israeli Air Force is recognized as one of the best and strongest in the world. In fact, an IDF pilot, Giora Epstein, holds the world record for the most enemy jet takedowns.

All faiths are accommodated in the IDF. Though Jews make up the majority, Israeli Druze and Circassians regularly serve as well. There is no discrimination in the IDF.

The IDF is also one of the most LGBT friendly armies in the world, regularly recruiting LGBT soldiers.

As of now, there are 169,500 soldiers actively serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. There are also 465,000 soldiers in the reserve units, which are made up of veterans who completed their service but can be called up in times of war and crisis. Reserve duty is mandatory until age 40 for combat roles and 45 for non-combat. 

The seventh day is Israeli Independence Day, and to celebrate, we include 40 fascinating facts about Israel:

1. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.

2. The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is the world’s oldest continuously used cemetery and the world’s biggest Jewish cemetery.

3. Numerous studies rank Israelis among the happiest people in the world.

4. Voicemail technology was developed in Israel.

5. The city of Beersheba, in Israel’s Negev desert, has the largest number of chess grandmasters per capita.

6. Life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world at 83 years.

7. Israel is the home to the lowest point on Earth: the Dead Sea, which is more than 1,000 feet below sea level.

8. Engineers at Motorola Israel developed the original cell phone technology that led to today’s smartphones.

9. There are more than 2,000 archeological sites in Jerusalem.

10. Israel has the world’s only underwater museum and only underwater restaurant, both in the southern city of Eilat on the Red Sea.

11. Native-born Israelis are called Sabras, which is a cactus fruit that is tough on the outside but sweet on the inside.

12. Israeli Major Uzi Gal developed the Uzi submachine gun in 1948.

13. Israel recycles 90% of the waste water it creates.

14. Israel is the only county to have more trees today than it did 50 years ago.

15. After Tokyo and New York City, Tel Aviv has the most sushi restaurants per capita.

16. Israel is the only country that Starbucks has failed in, due to the higher quality and popularity of Israeli-made coffee brands and local coffee shops.

17. More than 9 out of 10 Israeli homes use solar power to heat water.

18. Israel was the first country to place a ban on the use of underweight models on catwalks.

19. Israel has more orchestras per capita than any other country.

20. Israel is one of only three democracies in the world without a codified constitution. The others are Britain and New Zealand.

21. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the number of Christians is increasing.

22. Israel has absorbed immigrants from more than 100 countries.

23. Israel has more computers per capita than any other country.

24. Israel is home to the world’s only theater company made up entirely of deaf and blind actors.

25. Jerusalem has over 1,500 public parks and gardens.

26. Israeli banknotes have Braille on them.

27. Israel has one of the highest levels of bird traffic in the world - over 500 million migrating birds cross its airspace.

28. In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia to safety in Israel. 

29. 43% of the world’s Jewish population lives in the State of Israel.

30. Israel is one of the world’s leaders in the per capita number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 140 per 10,000 workers.

31. Israel has more than 9.1 million citizens, according to the 2020 census.

32. Israel has won a total of 10 bronze Olympic medals, 6 silver, and 4 gold. Team Israel brought home a record 7 medals at the 2024 Olympics.

33. In Israel, 74.3% of the citizens are Jewish, 17.8% are Muslim, 1.9% are Christian, and 1.6% are Druze.

34. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship – and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 – in the world.

35. Israel has the fourth largest air force in the world (after the U.S., Russia, and China), including an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16’s.

36. After completing their mandatory military service in the IDF, it is common for Israeli young adults to travel the world for a few months. 

37. The Israel National Trail allows people to hike through the entire country, from north to south.

38. Israel has among the strictest food quality and nutrition standards in the world. 

39. The Israeli Army includes a world-renowned Search & Rescue Unit, which assists in national emergencies in Israel and around the world.

40. Though Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, the city of Tel Aviv is where Israel's Independence was declared on May 14, 1948.