Page 84 - big friday
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Hundreds arrived at Rothschild Boulevard and followed from
outside the ceremony taking place in the museum building.
Later on the crowd numbered in the thousands
single Jewish army – the Hagana and Etzel together – was making its way towards Jaffa
to enforce peace in the city which, five months previously, had rejected the call for peace
issued by its Jewish neighbor. There had not been talk of war, because war was going on
beyond the walls of the peaceful museum. It was part of reality. And there was no talk of
valor. Valor, too, was sanctified with silence. Because at that moment there was a convoy
on the way to Jerusalem of girls whose brothers had defended Kfar Etzion, defended and
fallen, to the last man. And no-one found himself able to talk about valor in the face
of true valor. Not a single word could be found that could express its full significance.
Historians will search in vain for a festivity that did not exist at the proclamation of
the state. There were no parades, there was no sea of flags, nor thousands of people in the
streets. Only the "Shehehiyanu" blessing of the individual, an old rabbi as representative
of the congregation; a "Shehehiyanu" that was uttered with choked tears. But there was
no earth-shattering talk about an historical event. Nor a "kaddish" prayer, or “Yizkor”
(memorial prayer) for the Unknown Soldier. The historian will have to describe an
auspicious hour of unexpressed emotion. Indeed, it is far easier to describe a sight full
82 The Friday That Changed Destiny
outside the ceremony taking place in the museum building.
Later on the crowd numbered in the thousands
single Jewish army – the Hagana and Etzel together – was making its way towards Jaffa
to enforce peace in the city which, five months previously, had rejected the call for peace
issued by its Jewish neighbor. There had not been talk of war, because war was going on
beyond the walls of the peaceful museum. It was part of reality. And there was no talk of
valor. Valor, too, was sanctified with silence. Because at that moment there was a convoy
on the way to Jerusalem of girls whose brothers had defended Kfar Etzion, defended and
fallen, to the last man. And no-one found himself able to talk about valor in the face
of true valor. Not a single word could be found that could express its full significance.
Historians will search in vain for a festivity that did not exist at the proclamation of
the state. There were no parades, there was no sea of flags, nor thousands of people in the
streets. Only the "Shehehiyanu" blessing of the individual, an old rabbi as representative
of the congregation; a "Shehehiyanu" that was uttered with choked tears. But there was
no earth-shattering talk about an historical event. Nor a "kaddish" prayer, or “Yizkor”
(memorial prayer) for the Unknown Soldier. The historian will have to describe an
auspicious hour of unexpressed emotion. Indeed, it is far easier to describe a sight full
82 The Friday That Changed Destiny
