Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July back in the states, is usually spent having a family barbeque and watching fireworks. And Memorial Day... well, mostly what it means to me is that it's time to head to Nordstrom for their annual sale.

In Israel, though, it is quite different. On Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance), Israelis commemorate the lives of soldiers, friends, relatives—all whom were killed in wars or terrorist attacks. As Yom Ha'atzmaut ends at sundown, Yom Ha'atzmaut (Day of Independence) begins and the country transforms from a somber mood to one of optimism and joy.

In the U.S.A., we love the Fourth of July. And yet, it is sometimes hard to appreciate our independence because many of us do not know what it is like to live without it. Here in Israel, however, it was only 59 short years ago that independence did not exist. This year for the first time, I was able to appreciate these two days more than ever before.

This year, Yom HaZikaron started at eight o'clock in the evening with the sounding of a siren, and at that moment, everyone in Israel stood still for one minute. Cars on the freeway braked and people got out and stood on the street; pedestrians halted; everyone paused whatever they were doing and became silent and still. I was walking to a memorial tekkes (ceremony) in Holon and watched as all of Israel unified for that moment to show their respect and solidarity.

After the community tekkes, I went to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv for a larger one. Mosh Ben Ari, Ninet Taieb, and other Israeli artists performed for the tens of thousands of people that came out. Families of soldiers killed in wars spoke and told their stories. The next morning my friends and I made the journey to Jerusalem's Har Herzl, the most famous military cemetery where Yitzhak Rabin along with thousands of other leaders and soldiers are buried. Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, was there giving a speech. Families brought chairs and gathered around tombstones and told stories and jokes. I tried to find a grave that had not been visited and had no flowers, but there were none to be seen; it seemed that not single a soldier was forgotten.

That night at sundown, I welcomed Yom Ha'atzmaut on the bustling and busy Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. People poured into the streets. Kikar Tzion (Zion Square), the center of Ben Yehuda, had a huge stage set up and Hadag Nachash, an Israeli band, gave an unforgettable show. Down the road in the next smaller square, there was another stage with DJs spinning records all night long. Adults and children, yeshiva boys and seminary girls, tourists, religious and secular, were all out that night to celebrate Israel's 59th year. We stayed out dancing and singing in the streets until nearly four in the morning.

The holiday continued the next day in Tel Aviv on the beach, where in true Yom Ha'atzmaut fashion, many of the Year Coursers joined in a massive barbeque. Frozen hamburger patties and kebabs never tasted so good as they did that afternoon. The weather was perfect for swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and tanning in the smooth sand. I ended Yom Ha'atzmaut at Hayarkon Park outside of Tel Aviv for another huge concert, this time featuring the band Machina and a gigantic fireworks display. That night, I collapsed in my bed back in Holon and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was sound asleep.

Soon I will return to the U.S., and with my family and friends, we will celebrate the United States' independence. After learning the true meaning of a holiday in Israel—both memorializing and celebratory—barbeques and fireworks are bound to have new meaning.

Sala Wanetick is one of JVibe's Young Judaea Year Course Correspondents. She's from Southfield, Mich.