
Lesson Plan
Commemorating Yom Hazikaron
This poster, produced by Tzipi Berak Biyonsky, commemorates Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. The poster is mainly sepia colored, with some specific individuals in black and white. The image depicts a crowd of people standing solemnly on Jerusalem’s famous pedestrian street, Ben Yehuda, during the Yom Hazikaron siren.
Group Activity
- What is Yom Hazikaron?
- What date is Yom Hazikaron in the Hebrew calendar?
- Why do you think that this day is one day before Yom Ha'atzmaut?
- Why do you think this particular quote by Ibn Ezra was chosen for this poster?
- What is the message of the poster? How does it relate to the day?
Besides the ritual seen here, what other rituals exist on Yom Hazikaron?
- Who produced this poster?
- Why do you think the poster includes images in both sepia and black and white?
- How does the clip make you feel?
- Have you ever been in Israel on Yom Hazikaron? If so, how did you feel when you heard the siren?
Discussion Questions
- What is written on the poster?
- What is pictured on the poster?
- Who are the people?
- Where are they?
- What are they doing?
- Does your community commemorate Yom Hazikaron? If so, in what way?
- Does your country have a Memorial Day?
- When is it, and what are the rituals of the day?
Creative Activity
Choose one of the people in the poster.
- Give them an imaginary background, job, and family status.
- Imagine you are a journalist for your local newspaper, and you have been chosen to interview Israelis about how they feel on Yom Hazikaron.
- Write the script of the interview.
Choose one of Israel's fallen and write their biography. Make sure to include pictures.
Primary sources in this lesson
Primary source in this Game
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