Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, began yesterday evening in Israel and throughout the Diaspora. It continues today and is immediately followed by the celebrations of Israel’s Independence Day.
A state born from the ashes of the Holocaust, in which 6.000.000 Jews perished, was established in the land of Israel — where the persecuted and deported survivors cultivated the desert and transformed it into fertile land. There, they founded academic institutions, built high-standard hospitals, fostered innovation and advanced technology, and created a society where people of different cultures, races, and religions coexist in harmony.
Grief over the fallen gives way to the joy of independence — a time when an entire nation unites in tears, in shared memory of the sacrifices made for survival, and finds redemption in the realization of a long-standing vision that has triumphed for 77 years. Memory and the ongoing struggle for survival, roots and identity, historical continuity and future aspirations — all are encapsulated within this deeply symbolic and emotionally charged 24-hour period.
Yom Haatzmaut. 77 years since its establishment, the State of Israel remains a beacon of democracy and development, a model of progress and resilience, and a source of hope — despite the attacks its people continue to endure.
KIS and the Jewish Community of Greece join our voices with Israeli society in calling for the immediate release of the 59 Israeli hostages who were abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and are still being held in the dark tunnels of Gaza.
At the same time, we extend our most heartfelt wishes to the people of Israel for STRENGTH, UNITY, PROGRESS, AND PEACE.
Athens, 30 April 2025
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece