A ceremony to honor the 96 fallen olim (new immigrants) who were soldiers in the Israel-Hamas War will be held on October 26, coinciding with National Aliyah Day.
The event will take place on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in the Enav Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, with a live broadcast on social media and on the pages of the partner organizations.
The ceremony is being organized by the 1 Million Lobby association in collaboration with the chairman of the Jewish Agency, Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Doron Almog, the family of fallen soldier Capt. Omer Neutra, and representatives of the families of other fallen soldiers.
President Isaac Herzog will reportedly be in attendance.
The main event will include the presentation of a book commemorating the stories of the 96 fallen olim. “Each soldier is given a full page that will include their life stories, military service, messages from their families, and a personal quote, alongside a QR code leading to their online memorial page,” said the event organizers.
“The fallen [olim] came to Israel from a variety of countries around the world, some new immigrants who arrived in recent years and some who immigrated decades ago, but all carried the legacy of aliyah in their identities,” they added.
At the same time, a series of 74 personalized commemorative stickers for each fallen soldier was created to allow their families “to spread the memory of their loved ones to the masses.”
Olim make up to 15% of fallen soldiers
According to data from the 1 Million Lobby, there are currently 3,905 immigrants serving as regular soldiers in the IDF, with 2,576 serving under the status of “lone soldier” (who do not have a nuclear family in Israel).
“According to reports and studies, between 10% and 15% of the fallen are immigrants or lone soldiers – that is, over 90 immigrant and lone soldiers have been killed in the war so far,” explained the organizers.
“The heroism of the immigrant soldiers expresses the powerful bond between the Jewish people and the State of Israel – a bond of faith, courage, and sacrifice. Their memory is a source of inspiration and strength for many young Jews around the world,” said Almog.