For me, one of the funny things about Israeli Independence Day is that it’s not necessary to leave the house to enjoy it. We have it all on our mirpeset, our balcony.
Fireworks? We can see them over Mt. Herzl quite well by simply stepping outside.
And the Air Force flyover? We live along the flight path. The aircraft sometimes rattles the building as we make a mad scramble to see the jets and choppers.
In past years, on a hilltop across from us, neighbors shlep lawn chairs, barbecue grills and coolers to enjoy the afternoon. Stray blue and white balloons float astonishingly quickly across the sky before children realize they’re gone. The distinctive smell of barbecues wafts over the neighborhood. Our barbecue is set up — you guessed it — on our balcony.
This year, Independence Day, which falls on the night of April 28 and day of April 29, will be low-key. In place of the traditional flyover, the Air Force will salute medical personnel with smaller aerobatic salutes over major Israeli hospitals. Municipalities were given a green light for modest fireworks shows, but city leaders don’t feel a display is appropriate given economic hardships. The hilltop won’t be crowded, and anyone up there will be wearing masks and keeping social distance. At least we’ll have our barbecues.
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But small and low-key can be meaningful too, as we experienced during Passover. Perhaps we’ll learn something that changes the way we mark the holiday in the COVID-free future.
Here’s a list of 10 do-it-yourself ways to celebrate Israel’s 72nd birthday, despite the restrictions.
1. Send an encouraging letter to an Israeli soldier through this form.
2. Share something on social media about what Israel means to you.
3. Compose your own special prayer for Israel’s well-being. (Or ad lib if you prefer.)
4. Watch a selection of dramatic aerial drone footage and virtual tours of various Israeli places. See Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Hebron, the Negev, the Golan and more like you’ve never seen them before.
5. Make your home a sea of blue and white with kid-friendly Israel-related arts and crafts. Ward off the evil eye with a home-made hamsa. Brighten up the house with Israel-themed suncatchers made of transparent contact paper, wax paper or tissue paper. Make a mosaic out of colored glass, buttons, painted bottle caps, even painted styrofoam. Home-made pinwheels spinning in the breeze are quite a sight, as are hanging yarn globes. Paper chains and fingerpaintings are also easy blue and white options.
6. Your little bakers will enjoy making Israeli flag sugar cookies. If you prefer to skip the oven, all you need are graham crackers and some blue and white frosting.
7. Teach yourself to sing Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem. Don’t just learn the words, teach yourself to pronounce it in Hebrew. And be sure to read up on the unlikely story behind the song.
8. Catch up with Israeli relatives you haven’t been in touch with for awhile.
9. Put up an Israeli flag in your home and another in your car. Bonus points if you take some time to learn about the flag’s backstory.
10. Arm yourself with the information you need to speak up for Israel by reading more at HonestReporting.com. If you’re new, visit our Start Page. Check out our most recent Media Critiques, in-depth Israel Facts background articles and latest Videos as well as a special series of articles on News Literacy.
Have a happy — and healthy — Independence Day.
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