Tel Aviv [Israel], The holiday's traditions had to be reconsidered and redesigned because Israel never celebrated Independence Day during the war. This meant, among other things, changing the torch-lighting ceremony marking the transition from the solemnity of Memorial Day to the joyousness of Independence Day "We will not be able to hold the torch-lighting ceremony like every year. And yet Israel The state must mark its independence; the flag cannot remain at half-mast. We have a lot to be proud of," says Transport Minister Meir Regev, who was tasked with overseeing the annual ceremony. "Every year -There are 14 torchlighters. This year we did not change it to 44, so that we can celebrate all the different groups and communities who showed great bravery and sacrifice in the face of the war we are still fighting, " He explained that, as a security precaution, the ceremony was filmed ahead of time, on Thursday evening, without a live audience. During the evening, Israel's press service spent time with Irene Nurit Kohn and Basma Hino, several Israelis. Two of the notable women honored for their bravery “It is important to hold the ceremony this year, so that our enemies know that they did not break our spirit.We are a strong people, we need to live life with love", says Irene Nurith Kohan. She carries the torch of The Rescue Forces on behalf of the ZAKA organization, in which she helps in the wake of the chaos and destruction following Hamas' October 7 attack. "Accepting the honor of lighting the torch filled me with both excitement and humility, knowing that so many others from ZAKA had also been in my place. Can equally stand by my side. This is not about me, but about what we saw there. It has been a tremendous and deeply touching privilege,'' Cohn stressed A week after October 7, Cohn was part of a team recovering bodies at the Gaza border and carefully cleaning a blood-stained house, months after After his mission ended, Cohn took it upon himself to participate.I give a lecture recalling the events of October 7. She currently represents Zaka O Foreign Missions, sharing her experiences with anyone willing to listen "I think I've never left the Gaza border since then. 'That kind of It seems impossible to return to normal life after the experience.'' ''I have the privilege of continuing this activity surrounded by people from all corners of the country and from different regions, Basma Hino Maun Herzl. "I never imagined I would be participating in something like this in my life, what a remarkable honor it is," she says of the walk." On Israel's border with Lebanon, he turned his restaurant in the Druze village of Julis into a vital kosher resource for soldiers stationed in the area. As a result, he is part of a group lighting a torch of giving, "I I want to feed! They are all like my children, no matter what their background", she insists. The commitment is rooted in her family's history. Basma's late husband, Marcel, was seriously injured during an Arms mission in 2002. Suffering injuries that left him hospitalized for over a decade before he passed away, Basma used his passion for baking to later establish the restaurant "Noor" as the war intensified. With growing numbers running low, Basma and his son Nour took the step of repurposing leftover food supplies to prepare meals for the soldiers, their initial effort born out of a desire to honor Marcel's memory, all while This evolved into a full commitment to making the restaurant kosher, while ensuring access for the soldiers.Basma dedicates one day each week to preparing meals specifically for the troops in collaboration with volunteers coming through the Jewish National Fund-USA "During this period, the restaurant does not receive as many visitors, especially "Because of the heat in the area and recently there have been rocket attacks on our village," Hino said with concern. “It is clear that the situation is escalating, which is why it is important for me to focus on the project of providing food for the troops, that is the priority right now. Hopefully we will be able to do that for as long as is needed and Our initiative will attract donations and volunteers. For Basma, the restaurant serves as more than just a place of business – it is a symbol of solidarity and bridging the divide "For me as a Druze, strengthening ties between Druze and Jews Very important," Hino insists. "We all live here together; We fight wars together and in our restaurants we cook food for our soldiers shoulder to shoulder."