• The ceremony of reading the Declaration of Independence on Yom HaAtzmaut is a new ritual that seeks to give a voice and space for the Israeli spiritual uplifting experience that surrounds Yom HaAtzmaut, the Israeli Independence Day. 

Ceremony Format: 

Every year, during the morning hours of Yom HaAtzmaut, families, neighbors, friends, and communities gather for a celebratory ceremony which includes a festive reading of the Declaration of Independence, a “Kiddush,” and a celebratory toast. We suggest you read the Declaration to the tune of the Haftarah reading, as a contemporary echo to the traditional readings of Jews on holidays. We recommend dividing it into sections between the different participants and closing by singing HaTikvah, the national anthem. The ceremony is usually about half an hour. 

Would you like to plan your own reading ceremony? 

• Click here to find out everything you need to know about how to do it.

Want to get inspired and join an international live-streamed reading ceremony from the Western Wall in Jerusalem, with simultaneous translation into multiple languages?

• Sign up here to join the ceremony organized by the WZO and many partner organizations on Sunday, April 11th.

For more information about the rationale behind this new ritual, read the following piece by Keren Apfelbaum-Riff: