This is a colourful poster from 2008 in honour of Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers. The main section of the poster is a painting by Michael Elkayam. In the centre of the painting is a pile of stones, possibly resembling a grave, topped with the flame of a memorial candle in a clay vessel. Behind the stones are white and blue ribbons which are reminiscent of the Israeli flag. Fighter planes emerge from the flame. In the background are the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall. The painting also contains other Jewish and national symbols: Torah scrolls, candles, a menorah, and an Israeli flag. At the bottom of the poster is a verse from 2 Samuel: “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights; How have the mighty fallen!”
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Yom HaZikaron - Yom HaZikaron is commemorated on the 4th of Iyar, the day before Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day). It is the day of remembrance for soldiers, police, intelligence forces, and victims of terrorism who lost their lives before the establishment of the State of Israel until the present time. Yom HaZikaron is observed with ceremonies that are held in cemeteries, schools, and local communities throughout the country. It begins at 8 pm with a one-minute siren which is followed by a national ceremony held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The following day a two-minute siren is sounded at 11 am, and memorial services then take place in all military cemeteries. During the siren, Israelis stop what they are doing and stand to honour the memory of the fallen. Throughout the day, places of entertainment are closed and the radio and television stations play music and tell stories befitting the day. The torch-lighting ceremony at Mt. Herzl is both the closing event of Yom HaZikaron and the opening ceremony of Yom Ha’atzmaut. The juxtaposition of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut reminds the nation of the high cost of the independence that is enjoyed by everyone.
Michael Elkayam - Michael Elkayam was born in Morocco in 1954 and immigrated to Israel as a young child, where he grew up in the southern development town of Netivot. Elkayam studied at the Beersheva Academy of Fine Arts and the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem and specialized in graphic techniques. Elkayam’s work uses Jewish themes and symbols and often incorporates biblical verses.
