Singing in the Citadel

An Evening of Song and Hope with ‘Singing in the Garden’ and the Creators of the Book If You Are Reading These Words

On the eve of Memorial Day, eighteen months into the war that changed all of us, we will gather together in the courtyard of the Citadel for an evening of shared reading and singing.

Schedule:

• 19:30 — Gathering
• 20:00 — Siren
• Ceremony with the creators of the book If You Are Reading These Words
• 20:45 — Community singing with ‘Singing in the Garden’

We will begin with a special ceremony where we will read excerpts from the new book If You Are Reading These Words (Koren Publishing, 2025), a first-of-its-kind documentary literary project that curates forty-nine final letters written by soldiers who fell during the war that broke out on October 7.

The ceremony will be dedicated to the fallen from the city of Jerusalem, or those whose lives were centered there, whose texts are featured in the book:

• Uriah Goshen
• Yossi Hershkowitz
• Shahar Friedman
• Ben Zussman
• Roy Dawi
• Matan Vinogradov

The texts will be read by friends and family members of the fallen. We will host the editors of the book, Shlomo Koves and Racheli Planet Rosen, who will share the delicate and complex process of creating the book, and about the hope and love they found within the texts.
Host: Nadav Halperin
Reader: Matan Levi

At the end of the ceremony, we will hold a special prayer for peace and the safe return of the hostages.

Afterward, in collaboration with ‘Singing in the Garden,’ we will sing together the most beautiful texts ever written in the Hebrew language, creating moments of connection in an evening filled with emotion and longing.

Free admission, by advance registration only. Space is limited.

The event will take place outdoors, in the courtyard of the Citadel. The evening is expected to be chilly — warm clothing recommended.