Pilot’s mother and Chief Rabbi mark Yom HaZikaron with UJIA

UJIA marked Yom HaZikaron on Tuesday night with a streamed event that in particular honoured helicopter pilot Thom Farkas, who died during the 2006 Lebanon War.

Farkas’ mother Anat took part from her home in Caesarea in the event, which also included a dedication by the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and a contribution from Israel’s defence attaché in the UK.

UJIA’s Ben Shapiro, chair of programming in Manchester, said the event was “intended to be a tribute to the close ties between the UK and the State of Israel with various UK/Israel connections made throughout the event.

“I truly believe that as a British Jewish community we can’t celebrate all things Israeli, enjoy our holidays there, take pride in its history, its people and its innovation without remembering the price paid for this.”

The overarching theme of the ceremony was sustainability, drawing on Anat Farkas’s decision to set up an orchard where she teaches the values of organic farming.

She said it was “our responsibility to ensure the land itself, the air we breathe and the water we drink remains sustainable” in the name of those who died and continue to fight for the nation and its land.

Shapiro said: “Standing together in Yom HaZikaron is the least we can do.

“I’m delighted that through this virtual ceremony we’ve been able to give even more people a very real opportunity to do this.”

The ceremony can be seen on UJIA’s YouTube page.