As you know, the 60bloggers project involves 60 bloggers blogging about Israel's 60th over 60 days. The latest post is by Inbal Freund, our current issue's "Woman to Watch" for her work with Mavoi Satum. She wrote it in honor of Israeli Memorial Day and in memory of loved ones lost, and it's incredibly moving. If you've ever wondered about the juxtaposition of Memorial Day with Independence Day, and about the shift that happens between those two occasions of opposing emotions, this is the piece to read.

[...] The generations which came before us are embedded within us. They escort us as we celebrate our holidays – on Yom Kippur or University graduation, their eyes are watching, examining our actions, giving advice and meaning to mundane life. We are expected to relate to them. The glory of their memories commands us to better the world. To improve what they have given us. To carry their greatness to our inheritance. To create the next part of the chain, day by day.

I study what my forefathers studied. I study what my foremothers did not always have access to. I have the freedom to wonder around beloved texts, I have the freedom to walk in ancient pathways. I live in a world which reinvents itself with every passing day, where technology dictates an ever growing pace of life. I live in the liminal space between old and new as I try to make my own way forward.

[...] The sad, heavy, choking, patched blanket of ceremonies is lifted. We can never really take some pieces back as we return to our homes to prepare for our Independence Day. The shift is so dramatic. Like a transformation from a long fast to the festive joy of Purim. Like a great light that blinds eyes which dwelled in much darkness. By the evening, the sky is lit with fireworks. My head is still pounding from the sun. From the distance the fireworks sound like shots, and I have to look up to remember that this is an expression of joy which is not taken for granted. It’s an expression of freedom.

To read the whole piece, click here.