Commemorating the 25th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination.
Memorial Day service for Yitzhak Rabin
Congressman Terry Everett with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on June 6, 1993 – Wikimedia
Thursday October 29th, 2020 is the 25th official memorial day for Yitzhak Rabin, the 5th Prime Minister of Israel, corresponding to 12th of Cheshvan in the Hebrew calendar.
In the shadow of the coronavirus and the various restrictions and limitations that are currently in place, the program for the memorial services are as follows:
10:00 – Official memorial service
11:00 – The family will gather at his graveside for the Mourner’s Kaddish
13:00 – A special session in the Knesset plenum hall
18:00 – Gathering and tribute at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv
19:00 – Memorial candle lighting and closing ceremony
Numerous online events will be taking place today including age-appropriate lessons for pupils studying at home via zoom.
Updates
At the memorial candle lighting ceremony at Rabin Square on Thursday evening 25,000 memorial candles were lit -1,000 candles for every year that has passed since Rabin’s assassination.
The SHABAK also stated that in their opinion, Yigal Amir (Rabin’s assassin), ever after 25 years, still presents a threat to the security of this country. The SHABAK maintains that many of Israel’s youth support the murder and the actions of Yigal Amir and are willing to act on his behalf.
An entire generation of youth has grown up since Rabin’s assassination and although many support the murder, a large number have little idea about Yitzhak Rabin’s personal life.
Yitzhak Rabin had an illustrious career as an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77, and 1992 until his assassination in 1995.
His parents were originally from the Ukraine
Rabin’s father changed his surname from Rubitzov to Rabin in 1917
Rabin spent 2 of his high school years at the Kadoorie Agricultural School as originally he aspired to being an irrigation engineer. He was a good student but hated studying English as it was the language of the “British enemy”.
Rabin married Leah Schlossberg in 1948
He served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 1968 to 1973
In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with long-time political rival Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The 12th of Cheshvan, the murder date according to the Hebrew calendar, is the official memorial day of Rabin
Rabin Square (Hebrew: כיכר רבין, Kikar Rabin), formerly Kings of Israel Square (Hebrew: כיכר מלכי ישראל, Kikar Malkhey Yisrael), the site of his assassination, is a large public city square in the center of Tel Aviv. Over the years it has been the site of numerous political rallies, parades, and other public events. In 1995 the square was renamed ‘Rabin Square’ following his assassination which occurred there on November 4th, 1995.
Many cities and towns in Israel have named streets, neighborhoods, schools, bridges and parks after Rabin. The country’s largest power station, Orot Rabin, two government office complexes (at the HaKirya in Tel Aviv and the Sail Tower in Haifa), the Israeli terminal of the Arava border crossing with Jordan, and two synagogues are also named after him. Outside Israel, there are streets and squares named after him in Bonn, Berlin, Chicago, Madrid, Miami, New York City, and Odessa and parks in Montreal, Paris, Rome and Lima. The community Jewish high school in Ottawa is also named after him.
