Hundreds gathered at Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance on Tuesday night for Israel’s largest English-language Memorial Day ceremony, honoring fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The event, held in partnership with the Israel Defense Forces Widows and Orphans Organization, included speeches from dignitaries, bereaved families, and former Mossad Director Yossi Cohen. Cohen, who now leads the Friends of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, used the platform to address ongoing threats to the country’s survival—especially from Iran.
“This is a regime which openly calls for our destruction, funds terror across the region and acts nonstop to try to acquire nuclear capabilities,” Cohen said of Iran. “The state of Israel must do everything in its power—diplomatically, politically, and if necessary, operationally—to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.”
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The event also served as a poignant tribute to the 317 new widows and 735 orphans who lost family members since the October 7 Hamas attack. A memorial torch was lit by Australian-born Pessie Gordon, widow of Staff Sgt. Naftali Yonah Gordon, who was killed in Gaza in December.
Twelve-year-old Ittai Hershberg, who lost his father in combat, recited the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer for the dead. A symbolic empty chair was placed in memory of fallen soldiers whose bodies remain in Hamas captivity.
Bereaved mothers also spoke at the ceremony, including Sigal Manzuri. Manzuri’s partner and two daughters were killed at the Nova festival massacre.
The event marked the third year of the museum’s partnership with the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization.