In a powerful and unprecedented display of faith and remembrance, thousands gathered Tuesday at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center for the official Haredi Memorial Day ceremony, where participants celebrated Siyum HaShas – the full cycle of Talmud study – in memory of Haredi IDF soldiers who fell in service.
The solemn event, held at Teddy Hall and organized by the Netzah Yehuda Association, the IDF Haredi Directorate, the Defense Ministry’s Defense-Social Department, and the Jerusalem Municipality, marked a historic first in the integration of traditional Haredi religious practice with national military commemoration.
The audience – including Haredi soldiers, reservists, bereaved families, rabbis, cabinet ministers, lawmakers, and community leaders – filled the hall in an atmosphere of reverence. With full gender separation in keeping with Haredi norms, the ceremony featured stirring a cappella renditions, led by Hasidic singer Avraham Fried and Netzah Yehuda officer Daniel Lugasi, including a moving performance of “Venikiti Damam,” after the names of the fallen Haredi soldiers were read aloud.
A HISTORIC MILESTONE
In a historic first for an official Israel Defense Forces memorial ceremony, thousands of Haredi attendees completed the entire Talmud in memory of fallen soldiers, transforming traditional Torah study into a national act of spiritual remembrance.
Each participant received a tractate of Mishnah to study, ensuring that the full Talmud would be completed during the ceremony. The powerful event, organized by the Netzah Yehuda Association, served as a tribute and testimony to a deepening bond between Haredi tradition and national service.
In the days leading up to the event, thousands of soldiers also took part in a nationwide “Day of Torah,” which featured intensive study and lectures by leading rabbis, all in honor of the fallen.
“HATIKVAH” AND “ANI MA’AMIN”
The ceremony concluded on an emotional note with IDF cantor Daniel Lugasi leading the audience in the national anthem, “Hatikvah.” The event closed with a powerful rendition of “Ani Ma’amin” by Hasidic singer Avraham Fried, leaving many in the audience visibly moved.
חיילים חרדים, הורים שכולים והרב הראשי לשעבר הרב שלמה משה עמאר עומדים בצפירה באירוע יום הזיכרון המרכזי שעורכת עמותת נצח יהודה לנופלי החברה החרדית ושודר הערב ב’כאן מורשת’@dovieichler pic.twitter.com/bBHoz7xGOU
— כאן מורשת (@kan_moreshet) April 29, 2025
Leaders from across Israel’s religious and political spectrum emphasized the spiritual and national significance of the event.
“To be a Haredi combat soldier in the IDF is to hold the Torah in one hand and the sword of King David in the other,” said Yossi Levi, CEO of the Netzah Yehuda Association. “This is our model, our example, and our ideal as the people of Israel.”
Welfare Minister Ya’akov Margi struck a defiant and unifying tone in his remarks: “The State of Israel faces challenges on multiple fronts. As we witness the threats around us and hear the voices of our vile enemies seeking our destruction, we must remember our shared destiny and declare with strength: we are united and, with God’s help, we will prevail.”
Udi Dror, Head of the Defense Ministry’s Department for Unique and Torah-Based Recruitment Tracks, paid tribute to the fallen: “Tonight, we bow our heads in memory of the fallen IDF soldiers, including those from the Haredi community—young men who saw their service as both a duty and a privilege. They worked to protect their people while bridging the world of Torah and national defense.”
