Efrat, Israel âSpeak to the entire congregation of the People of Israel and say to them: âYou shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.ââ [Lev. 19:2]
What does it mean to be holy? In our generation, the emotionally-charged observance of Yom Hazikaron - when we honor the memories of those who have lost their lives defending the State of Israel - provide poignant answers to this ancient question.
 I would like to offer some context for this matter by citing a teaching from Rabbi Yechezkel âChatzkelâ Abramsky, zâl, legendary sage and rabbinical judge of London and Jerusalem. He taught that three aspects of our ethnicity create Jewish identity: belonging to a special nation, a special religion, and a special holy community. These three elements are expressed in the Tahanun supplication that we recite after the daily Shemoneh Esrei prayer.