From mourning to joy: Happy Birthday, Israel!

From mourning to joy: Happy Birthday, Israel!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 | Israel Today Staff

As we do every year, Israelis on Wednesday made the incredible transition from deep mourning to bounding joy as they first marked the nation's Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers before moving immediately into Independence Day.

Nearly every Israeli has lost a family member of friend to war or terrorism, meaning that for nearly every Israeli, Memorial Day is a very solemn time. At sunset on Wednesday, our mourning will turn to sudden joy as we burst into celebration over what the sacrifice of our loved ones has purchased - a safe and secure Jewish homeland after millennia of exile and persecution.

We at Israel Today want to invite our readers to help celebrate Israel's 64th Independence Day by purchasing unique, Israeli-made goods at our Jerusalem Depot online store. Every purchase helps support Israeli craftsmen and producers, as well as the local Messianic community.