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At soldiers’ graves, the rows keep growing: Israel's Memorial Day is shaped by new loss

JL;DR SUMMARY Varda Morell, like many other Israeli families, finds Israel's Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron, to be a deeply personal and ongoing experience of grief rather than a singular day of remembrance. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

BereavementIsraeli SoldiersIsrael Defense ForcesGriefYom HazikaronMount HerzlOnefamilyMemorial ServicesCeasefiresVarda Morell

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"When Varda Morell stands by her sons grave in Jerusalems Mount Herzl military cemetery this Memorial Day...."
Southern District, Israel
"My heart feels sick just thinking about it, she said on her way to deliver a Memorial Day talk at her sons paratrooper base."
Tel Aviv, Central District, Israel
"Shimon was among more than 450 bereaved parents who spent the weekend ahead of Memorial Day together at a Tel Aviv hotel...."
Raanana, Central District, Israel
"Tali Marom from Raanana, whose son Roee, a squad commander, was killed early in the war, said that idea resonated."
Elazar, Central District, Israel
"This year, despite her husbands objections, Shimon chose not to send out messages inviting people to come and pay their respects, but expects that neighbors from her West Bank settlement of Elazar will come anyway."
Pardes Hanna, Central District, Israel
"Nechama Aharon, from Pardes Hanna, whose son Yogev was killed on Oct. 7 battling Hamas at the Kissufim base in the Gaza envelope, said she has no intention of parting with any of his belongings, saying it matters more to her than visiting his grave...."

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Retrieved 2026-04-21 05:31:21 UTC
Curated 2026-04-21 08:30:40 UTC