Jerusalem – Defense officials plan to recommend that the Yizkor text that was the subject of a dispute last year be officially included in Memorial Day services at military cemeteries.
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The dispute centered around whether the words “Yizkor Elohim” (“May God remember” ) or “Yizkor Am Yisrael” (“May the nation of Israel remember” ) should be used. In the end, the second version won out.
Last year a debate erupted over a version recited in military cemeteries, which began with “Yizkor Elohim,” although the original version began with “Yizkor Am Yisrael.” The change, made after the Six-Day War by IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren, raised no complaints until last year, when a secular bereaved mother raised the issue and the media picked up on it.
It should be optional for those who are secular not to be forced to use the religous wording of the tefilliah. This is not somthing that is m
doraisah so its no big deal.
The Israeli gov is a bunch of radical leftists. Now I understand all the hatred and suspicion chareidim have of them.
Um… yizkor is a PRAYER… what’s the point of a PRAYER to nobody?
So by removing Gods name, it will now read yizkor am yeser, as the aleph lamed MUST be removed, for fear of offending silly mothers.
Why is being Jewish valuable to an Atheist? Isn’t that just racism? Judaism is a religion.
Sad shame, due to complete ignorance of G-d and Judaism.
How can their be an “Am Yisroel” without the one who created that Am?
Where is the outcry? Oh how Satmar’s ruv was right. This is a Medina shel Shmad!
i can understand it, thinking of god makes them feel guilty!!
Unfortunate development
Shame on you so called jewish nation!
R”L!!! how far will they go?!?!? Hashem yarachiem!!! To mention hashem’s name is also a problem? Even the guy belives that there is 1 god.
Hmmm. Maybe the Satmar Rebbe Z’L was onto something after all…
Come to think of it, I wonder what other changes were made.
After all, how can the text “In Gan-Eden should be his/her rest…”?
If there ain’t any “Elokim”, then there ain’t any “Gan-Eden”! Right?
Sad… plain sad…
Shame on you, And you call your self jewish? why is it called the state of israel? because you are israel, “B’nee B’choiry Yisroel” who said that if not Hashem??
We need him to remember!!
Dispicable!
So that’s how R”L the end begins. First Yizkor and then something else. It is mind boggling that because one person complained it is being changed. Hahem Yerachaim
There’s one thing everyone seems to be overlooking: It doesn’t say anywhere if this “prayer”, so-called, is the same text as the “civilian” Yizkor that we say in shul, (well I don’t have to say it yet B”H) It sounds more like they “rolled their own” and wrote an entirely new Yizkor from scratch, which for all I knew may not even mention Gan Eden to begin with, rather than modifying the text that has come down from dorei doros. If this is the case, they can change whatever they want, as it was never a real tefilah in the first place…
I’m curious to see this text, in fact. Is it on line anywhere?
Actually in this case, I would suggest to you that saying “may Hashem remember” is pure lunacy as our Creator does have infinate memory and intelligence. The ones who should remember the fallen of the IDF are the Jewish people themselves. So if you say “May Israel Remember”, I think you are on the right direction. If you think that Hashem is being removed from all prayer, this is ridiculous. G-d is always going to be with the jewish people and the jewish people will of course always think of our G-d, though perhaps not at the exact time you think that they must. Either way, I think this is a non-issue and if you worry about G-d being removed from the documentation and service of G-ds nation, remember that G-d is in control and you do not need to worry but at least understand and know that the forces in place will do what they are meant to do in the debate and ongoing discourse that will shape our future.
While it is sad that it has come to this; the removal of Hashem’s name in one of the most well known of prayers among all israelis. I believe, however, the decision will be reversed. Most Israelis believe in G-d, most Israelis fast on Yom Kippur, and most Israelis support traditional marriage.
It’s precisely because of the feelings and comments of wise-guy( #12 ) and like minded people that Israeli society is in such a state. So called religious/chassidishe/’Chareidishe’ Jews have divorced themselves from Israeli society and shunned any form of involvement with people who are not like them in dress in speech or in thought. But what they forget is that they are still our brethren and what a lost opportunity it has been for all of Yiddishkeit, that instead of leading by example and educating our less traditional brethren we condemn them and mock their ignorance. The fact that Jews are “Arevim ze LaZeh does not stop in Williamsburg or KJ. The fact is if there would be (more) Religious Jews in the army could you imagine what a tragedy it would be if soldiers went to battle, how many “asifos’ would be made how many tehillim groups …instead Chareidim are just spectators, and critics
So they are davening to who? Hertzel?
It is a sham that the FRUM parties in the Israeli government did NOT pull out of the government about this.
Of course because the whole m’dina has nothing to do with HKBH. It was only the might of the IDF.
And then some people wonder why not all of klal yisroel is “with” the m’dina. its because the medinaites are KRUM!
though i don’t agree with this decision:
If you read the whole article (The Forward) you will see that this is not the regular Yizkor but a Yizkor composed in the 1920s by a “Labor Zionist ” leader. It originally said Yizkor Am Yisrael, and Elokim was added later. I still think its wrong, but its not nearly as bad as tampering with a traditional tefila.
A quick Google searched pulled up the text of the yizkor, which I know has been changed, but the first paragraph looks like this :
“May God remember the souls of His heroic children: The fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who fell in the wars of Israel, in defensive, retaliative, and security actions and during the fulfillment of their duty, including the souls of the underground fighters and brigades who fought in the national struggle – all those who sacrificed their lives for the sanctification of God’s Name. “
I’m not sure how many of the mentions of Hashem they changed, because He is mentioned far more than that one time.
I have read most of the comments. None of these have served in the IDF or would have ever considered it. Why dont you mind your buisness. Let those who fight for Israel or who have lost relatives fighting for israel decide what memorial prayer to say.