Today is יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה – Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism. Or just יום הזיכרון – Memorial Day.
Every year of its existence Israel has lost soldiers protecting her people, not to mention victims of acts of terror. Each year, this day in Israel is not one of shopping like in the States, but rather a sad and solemn 24 hours during which the radios play music honoring the fallen, and the state sounds two sirens – one in the evening and one in the morning – during which Israelis stop whatever they are doing and stand still reflecting, remembering.
This year, however, there’s a big open wound – פצע פתוח – after the events of October 7, the ongoing war, and the hostages still held by Hamas:
השנה, יום הזיכרון הוא בין הכואבים ביותר בהיסטוריה של מדינת ישראל, מכיוון שיש פצע פתוח לכולם.
This year’s Memorial Day is one of the most painful in Israeli history, since there’s an open wound for everyone.
פצע means wound. פתוח is the masculine form of open, whereas the feminine form is פתוחה and the plurals are פתוחים (masc.) and פתוחות (fem.)
