Yom HaZikaron Begins Tonight: Israel to Mark Memorial Day With Ceremonies and Remembrance

Israel will enter Yom HaZikaron tonight (Monday), as a one-minute nationwide siren at 8:00 p.m. brings the country to a standstill and opens official Memorial Day ceremonies at the Western Wall (Kotel)

The day honors Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, with the Defense Ministry reporting a total of 25,644 fallen since 1860. Over the past year, 170 names were added, along with 54 disabled veterans who died as a result of their service-related injuries and were recognized as fallen. This year’s observances take place as Israel continues to grapple with losses from the ongoing war following the October 7 attacks.

The siren on Monday night marks the beginning of a national pause that is repeated the following morning. At 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a second siren lasting two minutes will sound across the country. During both moments, traffic halts on highways, businesses stop activity, and Israelis stand in silence wherever they are, one of the most widely observed collective rituals in the country.

Following the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, central state events will continue Tuesday at Mount Herzl. At 8:30 a.m., the names of the fallen will be read at the Hall of Remembrance. After the morning siren, the main state memorial ceremony will begin at 11:02 a.m. at the Mount Herzl military cemetery, held alongside ceremonies at military cemeteries across the country. A separate state ceremony for victims of terror will take place at 1:00 p.m. at the national memorial site on Mount Herzl. 

Across those cemeteries, a distinct Israeli practice will again take place: IDF soldiers will stand beside the graves of fallen service members who have no family present. Often from the same units as the deceased, the soldiers remain at the graves throughout the ceremonies, ensuring that no one is left alone on Memorial Day.

As the day begins, public life shifts accordingly. Businesses defined as places of entertainment close from 7:00 p.m. Monday, while schools operate on a shortened schedule Tuesday. 

Yom HaZikaron will conclude Tuesday evening with a ceremony marking one of the most distinctive transitions in Israeli public life. At 7:45 p.m., the traditional torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl will formally close Memorial Day and open Israel’s 78th Independence Day, moving the country directly from national mourning into celebration.

The sequence, from sirens and silence to ceremony and renewal, reflects the structure of the Israeli calendar, as the memory of those who fell is followed immediately by the continuation of the state they helped defend.