For me, Israel is personal. I was born as the War of Independence raged, just weeks after the State’s own miraculous birth. As I lay in the hospital room with my mother, the windows shattered with the relentless attacks of…

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Unfortunately the media lies too much through their teeth! Some pics: Here’s a video from Aish on Photo Fraud when the Lebanon War occurred in 2006: One on Facebook Groups:

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For the last 64 years Israel has been growing and thriving as a country, a land and as a state B”H. As a result celebrating it has justification as in the end of the day, it has brought Jews together in their own state. However how one should celebrate it is another story.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut happens to fall out on 4 Iyyar, which everyone agrees is part of the 33 days of mourning R’ Akiva’s 24,000 students. That said, some religious Jews will say Hallel without a Bracha and have an event/presentation, which is fine.

However, a couple of years ago (in 2009) I attended an event given by Mizrachi Canada where, after the presentation was given, some things bothered me.

For one, during the Maariv service, the “Barchu Es Hashem Hamvorach” was done with the Yom Tov tune and Hallel was said after Shmoneh Esreh. After that, fellow Jews wearing knitted Kippas and girls with decent-length-skirts sang and danced, and I must say that the dancing/singing performed was louder and done B’Simcha more than any wedding I’ve ever attended (and I’ve attended some loud weddings before).

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