Soldiers and civilians who have died in the wars of modern Israel or in terror attacks against the country are commemorated on Yom Hazikaron. In Israel, all places of amusement are generally closed on this day and at 12 noon a minute’s silence is observed to remember the dead. The event begins with the sounding of alarms all over the country. Tradition dictates that cars stop wherever they are, including on the motorway, where drivers and passengers get out of their cars to observe the minute’s silence.
In Finland, Yom Hazikaron is usually combined with the marking of Israel’s Independence Day the following day. People gather in the synagogue for the memorial service, after which the Independence Day celebrations begin the following evening.
