JCC Association's Early Childhood Curriculum Project 'This New Month'

Yom Hazikaron - Israel Remembrance Day or Memorial Day (May 7, 2008; Iyar 2, 5768)

Israel’s Day of Remembrance for those who fell to secure the modern State of Israel’s independence. Yom Hazikaron is celebrated annually on the 4th of Iyar.

Yom Ha-atzmaut - Israeli Independence Day (May 8, 2008; Iyar 3, 5768)

This year's Israel Independence Day marks Israel’s 60th year since it came into being in 1948. Yom Haatzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) is celebrated annually on 5 Iyar, the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948). For almost 2,000 years prior to the inception of this Jewish State, Jews lived in foreign lands, where they found themselves exiled after Israel was conquered and the Second Temple destroyed. In the Torah, when God speaks of the covenant and the Promised land, the reference is to the Land of Israel, which was then called the Land of Canaan.

Lag Ba-Omer (33rd Day of the Omer) (May 23, 2008; Iyar 18, 5768)

The word "Lag" is a numerical value that has been spelled out. In Hebrew, the letter Lamed has the numerical value of 30. The Hebrew letter Gimel has the value of 3. Thus Lag=33. An omer is a measurement of grain. During Lag Ba’omer, a festive celebration, the restrictions of the semi-mourning period of the Omer are lifted. On Lag Ba'Omer, we celebrate as we remember two special events in our history that happened on this day:

The Plague which killed all of the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiba (a great Jewish scholar) ended.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a Torah scholar, died on this day. We celebrate this occasion because the day of his death is when he shared his wisdom with his disciples. Although we usually commemorate the death of righteous people with fasting, Rabbi Shimon wanted us to celebrate his death instead. This is, therefore, a time of celebration as we remember the wisdom that he imparted to his students before his death.

Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day (June 2, 2008; Iyar 28, 5767)

This is a new holiday, during which we celebrate our great joy that Jerusalem is united after having been divided. This day is celebrated annually on the 28th of Iyar and commemorates the capture of the Old City of Jerusalem in the Six Day War.