The historic cemetery of Gush Etzion is located in the place where the first settlers of Gush Etzion who were buried during the War of Independence.
Today, residents of Gush Etzion and Efrat are buried in the Gush Etzion cemetery, among them fallen soldiers of the Israeli army and victims of terror.
Every year, on Memorial Day, a ceremony takes place with about 5,000 participants, including soldiers, youth, students, and the bereaved families.
Before the ceremony, families will gather next to the graves of their loved ones, and students pass through the graves to hear about the fallen and their lives.
After the main ceremony that begins with the siren at 11:00 am, families and friends gather for small memorial ceremonies in the cemetery.
This year, 100 members of a Mizrachi delegation from around the world will attend the ceremony as part of their Yom HaAtzmaut 70 Mission.
Yochanan ben Yaakov, a native of Kfar Etzion from the generation of 1948, will recite Kaddish for his father and uncle who fell in Gush Etzion during the 1948 war.
The Minister of Environmental Protection, Heritage and Jerusalem, Ze'ev Elkin MK, who is a resident of Kfar Eldad, will speak.
The ceremony is organized by the Religious Council of Gush Etzion and the Gush Etzion Regional Council, and will be moderated by Rabbi Rafi Ostroff.
The ceremony will be preceded by a panel discussion led by Rabbi Moshe Taragin, and with the participation of lone soldiers, bereaved families, and the Head of World Mizrachi, Rabbi Doron Perez.