Last night in Israel we entered upon Yom Hazikaron , our national day of mourning and honoring the memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. This year, just like every year, I phoned many of the families ATZUM has worked with over the years. At the end of the day I had tears in my eyes and tightness in my throat. I had to remind myself that the pain, loss, and sacrifice that these families have endured are the headlines, but their stories continue. It is a story of tremendous courage. To face the grief and to rebuild lives –the best possible way to honor the memory of those they tragically lost. I would like to share a few of the thoughts that were shared with me today.
L’, whose father was an egged bus driver, was killed in 2002, “I won’t let the terrorist win-every day I am in school and the work is hard, so I study to make my father proud”.
R’ whose husband z”l was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 2005, “The missing gets harder but I stay strong for the children- I am the only one left to see that they succeed. We are always sad but we find joy because that is what he would have wanted”.
C’, whose teenage son was gunned down while waiting for a ride near his home in 2005, “Every day is a day of mourning in our home, but we live on and I tell my other children, “Remember the good things, the simcha, the smile, the laughter, the music and the friends.”
Yiheh Zichram Baruch
Karyn London
Director, The Roberta Project for Survivors of Terror
