Havdalah
A ceremony of transition between Memorial Day and Independence Day
A time to mourn and a time to dance
Havdalah - a ceremony of transition between Memorial Day and Independence Day
A time to mourn and a time to dance
Difficult days are passing us by, and the moment of transition between the day of mourning and the day of joy is especially difficult. This is a uniquely Israeli trait, which found expression in the Havdalah – a time to weep and a time to heal. This year, the transition is even more difficult and the current context undermines many of the sentences that make sense throughout the holiday.
However, this moment calls for fulfillment, for words, and for togetherness.
About two decades ago, a small group of people who founded Israeli house of prayer in Tel Aviv It came together to try to provide a response to the ritual need that the juxtaposition of these days invites us to. The proposal received was to dwell precisely on this gap of time, between mourning and joy, and fill it with a ceremony that combines Jewish and Israeli materials and form. A ceremony of Havdalah. A Havdalah between Memorial Day and Independence Day.
The distinction between Memorial Day and Independence Day is built from ancient and new, traditional and contemporary creative materials. Through poetry, prayer excerpts, hymns, reflections, and Israeli songs, we manage to create a gradual emotional transition between the polar states of sorrow and joy, and to observe the human capacity to move between changing mental states using different layers of the Hebrew language. At the center of the ceremony is a free variation of the Havdalah blessing between Shabbat and weekdays, adapted to the unique transition between the sanctity of Memorial Day and the sanctity of Independence Day.
This year, more than ever, it is essential that we go through this moment together. Beit Tefilah Israeli invites the general public to a joint Havdalah with Israeli music, prayer songs, and soul healing.
The Havdalah ceremony will take place on Wednesday, April 21st. We will meet at 6:00 PM. Arriving early is recommended.
Event location: Beit Shalom Aleichem – Berkovich 2, Tel Aviv
Admission is free, subject to availability. Register here!
