we live in the coolest country in the world

It's been awhile, huh? Missed y'all!

Today we remember. Yom HaZikaron, our extremely somber Memorial Day. Two sirens (by night and by day), during a total of three bone-chilling minutes. We remember all of our citizens murdered in terrorist attacks, all of our soldiers who fell in battle. Over 26,000 Jews killed by those who wish we weren't here.

We remember all of our brothers and sisters.

But so much of the world forgets, whether intentionally or not. They forget that where we leave (South Lebanon, Gaza), in return we receive tens of thousands of rockets. I don't wish it on anyone to have to hear a different kind of siren, giving you notice to run to shelter, because a terrorist fired a rocket in the direction of your town.

The closest it has hit home for us is our sister-in-law's brother, who fell in 1991 in Lebanon (here's Ronen's story, for Hebrew readers). Most Israelis are only one or two degrees of separation away from having lost a loved one in war or terrorist attacks.

Israel remembers her fallen.

And now we'll switch to party mode for Independence Day - Yom HaAtzmaut.

We live in the coolest country in the world.

Exhibit א: Omer Avital and his band of ridiculously cool cats (dare you to try not to smile/bop your head back at them) -

Exhibit ב: a dad (Hanan Ben Ari) says to his kvetchy daughter, "we can't complain, our life is Tutim" (strawberries).

Exhibit ג: Moroccan Woman, Beit Shemesh-based bluesman Lazer Lloyd's ode to his North African wife.

In what I consider one of the greatest traditions in Jewish musical history, we're hoping to catch ב and ג tonight in the Holy City of Jerusalem in our millenia-old, renewed homeland. Those are just 2 of hundreds of artists playing around the country tonight FOR FREE to toast a happy 68th to our amazing, diverse, crazy country.

I'll add to the list from Yom HaAtzmauts past:
2005: David Broza (with fireworks going off of the roof of the building where we lived!)
2010: Beit HaBubot, Monica Sex
2012: that time when I missed Mati Caspi
2013: Avraham Tal, Mati Caspi
2014: Udi Davidi
2015: Karolina

Thanks to Mom-in-law for watching D! Gotta run!