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This stamp is dedicated to the mourning and remembrance that are an inherent part of Israeli culture - on the collective national level as well as on the individual level. Remembrance is the cornerstone of Israel's identity and existence.
This culture encompasses various sorts of remembrance by the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Holidays are a type of public remembrance, such as Passover, when we are commanded to remember the story of the exodus from Egypt, as are national memorial days, among them Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day and Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day. These remembrance days also feature memorial sirens marking a moment of silence in memory of the deceased.
Monuments, memorial candles, remembrance books and more all serve as means of remembrance. It is customary to light memorial candles in commemoration of the souls of the dead. Lighting these candles helps mourners set aside a moment of remembrance within their regular routines, a moment in which to remember and speak of their loved ones.
In Judaism lighting a memorial candle is credited with the ability to further the ascension of the deceased's soul from this world to the next. This ability is related to the belief that the living help the deceased to find eternal peace in the next world and to ascend to heaven.
The lighting of candles in memory of the deceased stems from the Book of Proverbs 20, 27: "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord". It is customary to light such candles during the first seven days of mourning, on the anniversary of the date of death and on Yom Kippur. Candles are lit both at home and at the gravesite.
Individual remembrance manifests in many different ways, based on the wishes of anyone who wants to commemorate a loved one. Remembrance through a personal stamp grants a national quality to individual remembrance.
