Yom Haatzmaut, Israeli style

We've had a busy week here first commemorations, then celebrations. For Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, it was a lot of blue and white uniforms. A lot of sirens. A lot of somber testimonies. A lot of sad songs (I think Israel specializes in sad songs. They love to make you cry. They wait all year just to cram all those sad sad songs into 2 days..). But theres always that light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, it was Yom Ha'atzmaut. A lot of flags, a lot of BBQs, a lot of fun, and no blue and white uniforms- but I'll get back to that later... Everyone keeps asking, how was it to celebrate your first Yom Haatzmaut as an olah? Well, to be honest, I was thinking to myself that this is the first year I actually don't have to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut. I mean, now that I live here... I have nothing left to prove. I always used to feel a huge responsibility to go to the shul or school programs, and surely to the Israeli Day Parade, and always to march no less. Sure, all these things were fun and nice and interesting, but year after year its the same old, same old. Nevertheless, someone like me never let herself miss any Israel related event. Never ever, period. I always felt obligated to demonstrate my love and support of Israel in public. Finally, I live here, and its the one time I don't need to do it. Its just assumed. So it took a bit more effort to get me off my couch on my one free night of the month, but it happened. I went out with a friend to all the local mesibot (parties), saw some beautiful fireworks over the city of Modiin, and it turned out to be a nice night. At one of these mesibot, the band was singing a new remix of the classic "Am Yisrael Chai". There were tons of people- mostly kids and some adults, singing and dancing to the music. The band leader sang, "Ani Chai, V'Am Yisrael Chai". It suddenly hit me... that me, living here, is significant. Not just personally significant, but nationally. Ani Chai- I live, I live here. This is my land, and I have a stake in it, and I'm not going anywhere. Needless to say, it was a powerful moment for me.

The next morning we went on a short hike at Sataf, and then met the Goldbergs and crew in a park near Bar Giyora. It was a wonderful day, the weather was perfect, and the Israelis were perfect. Smiley, friendly, and relaxed. I loved watching what they had brought for their barbecues- everything but the kitchen sink. Literally. We were at the Sataf hiking grounds, and though we were there to hike, many other families were there to barbecue and relax. As we stood online at the drinking fountain, (which was clearly labeled so), a woman approached the fountain to wash her pot and knives with a sponge and dishwashing soap! Well, when you barbecue once a year, I guess you have to get it right. Many people brought whole sets of tables and chairs, mattresses, tents, and hammocks. We even saw a family put up a zip line!The funny thing is though, while it was my first year celebrating Yom Haatzmaut as an Israeli, it was my first year NOT wearing blue and white on Yom Haatzmaut. For Israelis, blue and white is what you wear to a ceremony, or to a religous observance. The kids wear blue and white in school on Rosh Chodesh. Everyone wears blue and white on Yom Hazikaron. But Yom Haatzmaut is considered neither of those. Its really like July 4th. Its vacation, and no one tells you what to wear on vacation! So I come to the barbecue and I'm wearing yellow and black, Ayelet is wearing pink and white, Yaakov is wearing white and khaki. I see Zeva's whole family is wearing blue and white. So I say "Zeva, why are you wearing blue and white?" and she says, "Its Yom Haatzmaut!" and I say, "But look around you, you're the only Israeli family in this park wearing blue and white!" And I was right.