It’s no coincidence that Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, occurs just shortly after Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. After all, we Jews are a people who deeply understand that the cycle of life brings both sadness and happiness. Naomi Shemer, an Israeli poet and composer, wrote a song called Al Kol Eileh about how we learn to taste both the bitter and the sweet.
And so it’s time to move from sadness to happiness. What better way to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut than with a whole bunch of your closest friends at a huge party? Israelis in Brooklyn is putting together a celebration on Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 pm at Congregation Beth Elohim. There will be music, singing, delicious food from the Hummus Place (if you live in NYC and have never been there, drop everything and GO NOW, it’s that good), and a DJ at the end of the night for a serious Israeli-style dance party.
And after all of the interesting press that Brooklyn has gotten recently (did you see The Daily Show?), the idea of coming together as a community to celebrate seems even more wonderful. RSVP to info@israelisinbrooklyn.org, and there’s more info here.
Did I mention that it’s free? See you there!
If you can’t make it to Brooklyn, bring a little bit of Israel to your home with our favorite Israeli recipes…yum!
