From Grief to Hope: The Unbroken Thread of Jewish Sovereignty
As Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) approaches, Jews in Israel and around the world prepare to celebrate 77 years since the founding of the modern State of Israel. Streets are filled with flags, families gather for barbecues, and fireworks light up the night sky. But this joy does not stand alone. It comes only after a sacred and sombre journey: through Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror.
These commemorative days are not randomly placed on the calendar. Their sequence reflects something deeply woven into the fabric of Israeli and Jewish life: the understanding that independence was not granted — it was fought for, died for, and, in many ways, rose from the ashes of unimaginable loss.
Yom HaShoah: The Silence of Statelessness
Yom HaShoah forces us to confront the most painful chapter in Jewish history: the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered simply for being Jewish. This industrial-scale genocide was enabled by a world that too often turned a blind eye, and by the devastating reality that the Jewish people had no state of their own to offer sanctuary, protection, or a voice.
The Holocaust is not only a horror of the past — it is a stark warning for the present and future. It reminds us what happens when Jews are left defenceless, when antisemitism is allowed to fester, and when the Jewish people are cast as perpetual outsiders in every land but their own.
In remembering the Holocaust, we reaffirm the necessity of Jewish sovereignty. Israel was not founded because of the Holocaust, but the Shoah made the need for a Jewish homeland impossible to ignore.
Yom HaZikaron: The Price of Sovereignty
The week after Yom HaShoah, Israelis lower their heads again, this time for Yom HaZikaron. Sirens pierce the air and the entire country stops — literally. Cars on the highway pull over, pedestrians freeze mid-step, and for two minutes, the nation is still.
It is a powerful silence, not of helplessness, but of memory and honour. On this day, Israel mourns its fallen soldiers (those who gave their lives defending the country’s existence and security) as well as the victims of terror, who died because hatred of Jews did not end with the establishment of the state.
These losses are deeply personal. Almost every Israeli family carries a story of sacrifice. Every child grows up knowing that freedom is never free. Unlike Yom HaShoah, which mourns powerlessness, Yom HaZikaron mourns the cost of power — and the responsibility that comes with it.
Yom HaAtzmaut: The Triumph of Hope
Then, as the sun sets on Yom HaZikaron, the nation transitions (almost miraculously) from mourning to celebration. The Israeli flag, which flew at half-mast, is raised high. Sad songs give way to dancing in the streets. Fireworks replace tears. It is a dramatic transformation — one that reflects the essence of the Israeli spirit and the Jewish experience itself: from grief to hope, from exile to home, from persecution to pride.
Yom HaAtzmaut marks the rebirth of Jewish sovereignty after 2,000 years of dispersion. It commemorates the moment that David Ben-Gurion stood in Tel Aviv and declared a state for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland. For generations, Jews had prayed, “Next year in Jerusalem.” In 1948, those words ceased to be only a hope — they became a reality.
This day celebrates not just a political achievement, but a civilizational one. Israel is a vibrant democracy, a hub of innovation, a cultural epicentre, and a homeland for Jews from over 100 countries. Hebrew (a language once spoken only in prayer) now fills classrooms, media, and marketplaces. Jewish history, once written by others, is now authored by the Jewish people themselves.
The Necessity of Israel
Israel’s founding did not end antisemitism, nor did it usher in a messianic era of peace. But it did something revolutionary: it gave Jews agency. It gave them a place to gather, defend themselves, and determine their future. In a world where Jewish communities still face threats — from rising antisemitism in Europe, to violent attacks on campuses, to international attempts to delegitimize Israel’s existence — the importance of a strong, sovereign Jewish state remains as urgent as ever.
That urgency was seared into global Jewish consciousness on October 7, 2023 (Simchat Torah) when Hamas terrorists carried out the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Over 1,200 people were brutally murdered, entire families slaughtered, and children abducted. The scenes that unfolded that day — of civilians hiding in safe rooms, of communities overrun, of women and children dragged into Gaza — shattered any illusions that the Jewish people are safe without the power to defend themselves. It was a painful reminder that the hatred which fuelled the pogroms of Europe and the gas chambers of Auschwitz still burns today, now wearing different uniforms, waving different flags, but driven by the same genocidal intent.
And yet, it was also a moment of national clarity. In the face of unimaginable horror, Israel mobilized — not only its army, but its people. Reservists left their jobs and homes, communities rallied to support the displaced, and the diaspora united in grief and solidarity. The State of Israel (imperfect, embattled, and deeply tested) remains the one place in the world where Jewish life is not subject to the mercy of others.
Israel is not perfect, nor is its story complete. It is a nation still wrestling with the meaning of democracy, inclusion, security, and identity. But it is ours. It is the fulfilment of ancient longing and modern necessity. It is the anchor of Jewish survival and the beacon of Jewish renewal.
A Global Connection
For Jews in New Zealand and across the diaspora, Yom HaAtzmaut is not just about solidarity — it is about shared destiny. Though we may live far from Jerusalem, the rhythm of Israeli life beats in our hearts. When Israel grieves, we grieve. When Israel celebrates, we celebrate. We are part of the same story.
This week — from the memory of the Shoah, through the tears of remembrance, to the joy of independence — calls on us to remember that the thread connecting all these days is the Jewish people’s unwavering commitment to life, to dignity, and to sovereignty.
From grief to hope, from powerlessness to agency, from memory to meaning — this is our story.
Chag Atzmaut Sameach.
Am Yisrael Chai.
