4 Iyyar · observed date may vary
Yom HaZikaron
Historical context
Yom HaZikaron’s nominal Hebrew date is 4 Iyyar, the day before Yom HaAtzmaut. Israeli law moves the observed date when that pairing would conflict with Shabbat. There is no fixed Gregorian anniversary.
Archive record
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- Date
- 4 Iyyar · observed date may vary
- Verified sources
- 2
- Archive threads
- 3
Yom HaZikaron is Israel’s memorial day for soldiers killed in the country’s wars and for civilian victims of terrorism. The Memorial Day Law, 5723–1963, sets the nominal date as 4 Iyyar, immediately before Yom HaAtzmaut. The day begins at sunset. Nationwide sirens mark the opening of the day and the following morning. Communities hold memorials, and a ceremony at Mount Herzl closes the day as Independence Day begins.
The nominal Hebrew date is not always the observed date. Under the statute as amended: if 4 Iyyar falls on Friday, the day is observed on 2 Iyyar; if on Thursday, on 3 Iyyar; if on Sunday, on 5 Iyyar (the 2004 amendment). Those shifts keep Memorial Day and Independence Day consecutive and away from Shabbat. There is no fixed Gregorian anniversary.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- חוק יום הזכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל, התשכ״ג–1963 · Knesset · Sefer Ha-Chukkim View source
- חוק יום הזכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ויום העצמאות (תיקוני חקיקה), התשס״ד–2004 · Knesset · Sefer Ha-Chukkim (2004-03-03) View source
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