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The letter card, cover and stamp – all of which are special and unique to Memorial Day – constitute the basis of a sensitive, original and extraordinary tradition that came into being following the War of Independence.
Since Memorial Day 1952, a long line of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers of Defense have signed personal letters to bereaved families of the fallen and Israel’s premier artists take part in designing the covers and stamps for this commemorative day. Thus, from year to year, an unprecedented tradition has formed which, over time, has become one of the most recognized and extraordinary ambassadors of Israel’s commemorative culture.
(From: “Dear Families”, published by the Ministry of Defense, on the occasion of Israel’s 50th Anniversary)
The graphic design of the Memorial Day stamps has been expressed over the years symbolically and through monuments.
The center of the current design features the Memorial Day Pin which has been presented to bereaved families in recent years, along with the Minister of Defense memento. The pin was produced at the initiative of the Soldiers’ Commemoration Unit within the Ministry of Defense.
The pin integrates the symbols of the State and those of the representative organizations – Yad LaBanim and the I.D.F. Widows and Orphans Organization – with a black ribbon imprinted with the word “Yizkor” (In Memoriam). This combination is a symbolic expression of the unified commitment of the bodies that care for the bereaved families to remember, honor and cherish the fallen and their families.
