brilliant!

One problem with the suggestion is that people who say Hallel on YH say full Hallel, which is not said on Rosh Chodesh. Would they now say full Hallel on Rosh Chodesh Iyar? If so, it doesn't solve the problem, since there will still be a distinction between those who are not saying Hallel to commemorate the founding of the state (i.e., "half-hallelers") and those who are (i.e., "full-hallelers").

I imagine that those who will object to this proposal based on the fact that YH should be observed on the date that the founding of the state happened. However, this will raise the question of why they postpone Hallel in years that YH is pushed off. In such years, Hallel should be said on 5 Iyar (since it should be said on the anniversary of whatever is being commemorated), and the day off from work and obligatory BBQ can be on whatever day the state says.

sounds good :)
yoni r, to my very limited understanding, there is no difference between whole and half hallel, just a few extra kapitel tehillim. either way, you're making a bracha...

some people dont make bracha on hallel on rosh chodesh. real briskers dont, along with some sefardim (I think)

Nonymous,

You are correct (technically, it's a few extra half-kapitlach). However, that doesn't address the problem. People who want to observe YH in their davening will want to add those half-prakim, while those who don't will not. All Professor Weiss's suggestion does is move the problem to a different day.

Rafi G.,

To paraphrase R. Kahaneman, Ben-Gurion also didn't make bracha on hallel on rosh chodesh.

and he didnt say tachanun

What a ludicrous suggestion. It would lead for more disunity, not less. It means I can't force the Chareidim to recognise YH, so I won't recognise it, but will say Hallel with the Chareidim on Rosh Chodesh. The fact is YH is celebrated as the fact of the first sovereign Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael since the Churban, which was declared with the same courage as Nachshon, when he dived into the sea. Does no one realise that YH is moved to avoid Shabbat desecration? Remove the religious aspect, the chilonim might not be so helpful. In short, I hope this plan never comes to fruit, whatever, I'll continue to say full Hallel with a bracha, with the chilonim on YH.

I wonder if saying a few extra half kapitel Tehillim would be worth fighting about. I wasn't clear with what I was trying to say - if there's not much of a difference between what people who are and aren't observing YH, it won't be worth fighting over, will it? It can't create further disunity, as ludictously as the person above suggested.

And the secular half of the country would love this idea of changing independence day for a reason that makes absolutely no sense to them!

anonymous - I dont see that as an issue. Weiss himself deals with that by saying that almost every year, and every year in the next ten years, the date is changed anyway because it falls too close to shabbos.

I wonder, if they would change Yom Haatzmaut, would they change Yom Hazikaron as well? Part of the poignancy of it is the juxtaposition of the two days. Would we lose that aspect or would they both move together?

How would this solve the problem? Whenever Rosh Chodesh falls out on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, they would still move the date to a different date.

There is a halacha somewhere that something that is nidche/mukdam more than three days is batel.

....but I like the idea!

D.A.