Yom HaZikaron at Rutgers Hillel

This past Wednesday was the Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. On this day, Rutgers Hillel hosted two programs to commemorate the memory of those who died serving the state of Israel. Rabbi Akiva Weiss, veteran of the Givati Brigade, spoke about his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and he shared the story of his friend that lost his life in an attack at an IDF base in Gaza.

In the second program, Rafael Levy 13’ spoke about his service in the Nahal brigade and what led him to serve in the IDF. Chuck Jones 12’ spoke about his 20 years of service in the navy. We hope that the presence of an American serviceman will become a tradition in future Yom HaZikaron programs. The evening concluded when Michael Nestel 14’ spoke about his friendship with Michael Levin. Michael Levin from Philadelphia served in the IDF. Michael lost his life in the second Lebanon war. The film "A Hero In Heaven" tells the story of Michael Levin life.