Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis attend Memorial Day events

Two commemorations took place in Jerusalem and in Bnei Brak.

By ROSSELLA TERCATIN
A haredi man embraces a youth from the Orthodox community who has joined the army (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
A haredi man embraces a youth from the Orthodox community who has joined the army
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis attended events to mark Memorial Day, Army Radio reported on Tuesday.
Two formal events took place, one in Jerusalem and one in Bnei Brak, to honor the memory of the 23,741 soldiers who lost their lives serving the State of Israel and the pre-State Yishuv.

In Jerusalem, for the first time, the commemoration was organized by the Ministry of Defense, while in Bnei Brak it was organized by the city’s municipal council in cooperation with the haredi leaders.
The exemption from the mandatory military service that ultra-Orthodox men studying in yeshiva receive is one of the most controversial issues in the political arena in Israel. Part of the haredi community maintains a very negative view of the army. For this reason, Memorial Day events that are attended by the ultra-Orthodox are considered very meaningful.
Another commemoration for the fallen soldiers that saw the participation of haredi citizens took place in Beit Shemesh.


Related Tags
Yom hazikaron
memorial day