BORDER POLICE soldiers are among frequent targets and victims of terrorist attacks. One such victim was Hadas Malka, 23, who was killed four years ago in an attack near the Nablus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. The Friends of Zion Museum, at the initiative of her parents David and Geula Malka, is honoring her memory with the Warrior exhibition that opened last week in the presence of Mayor Moshe Lion, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, Jerusalem District Police Commander Doron Turgeman, Border Police Commander Amir Cohen, Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, former ambassador to the US Michael Oren, Nir Kimchi, Israel representative of FoZ founder Mike Evans, chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yossi Peled, museum director Daniel Voiczek and family and friends of Hadas Malka.
At the opening ceremony, Shabtai said: “The security reality in Jerusalem requires us to stand strong for a long time. From a young age, Hadas realized what we were fighting daily on a national level. Lately, we are seeing terrorism raising its head once again, with terror organizations warming up and stirring trouble. The Warrior exhibit in Hadas’s memory illustrates how much the future generation will see the great importance of security service today, no less than in the past.” Praising the Warrior exhibition that has become an impressive project, Lion said: “Documenting the path chosen by Hadas reflects the values on which she was educated: values of love of her homeland, of human dignity, and striving for excellence. In the spirit of these very values, even at this very moment, thousands of men and women of the Border Police continue to carry out their important mission in the Old City, in Jerusalem as a whole, and wherever they are needed. Here and now, we cherish you, border guards and fighters. We thank you and appreciate you for your dedication and courage.”
David Malka declared: “This exhibition is Hadas’s voice. We came up with the idea during the shiva (week of mourning) for Hadas. When we saw the amount of letters, and things that her friends and fellow soldiers wrote, we realized that we had to do something with all of the materials. We recruited Inbal Marili and Sharon Israel, graduates from the Department of Visual Communication at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design as our curators, and set off on our way. In the interim I’ve met over 50,000 young warriors to whom I’ve told the story of Hadas, how much she loved the country, how full of values she was, and that I can see that same spark in their eyes. I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Michael Oren, the former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, who will head the Foundation for the Commemoration of Hadas’s Heritage, and to announce that, in the near future, a permanent and interactive museum will be established in Jerusalem in memory of Hadas, which will feature a combination of holograms, pictures, and stories of Hadas.”
Evans, who is a long-standing supporter of the State of Israel, was so moved to learn about Hadas Malka’s legacy that he announced his intention to establish a center for the treatment of soldiers who were injured during their service and were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The center will provide a number of treatments under one roof, including activities, support and housing for soldiers. Oren, who was also so moved by Malka’s story that he volunteered to head her Memorial Foundation, stated: “There is no more suitable place than the Friends of Zion Museum, which was established specifically for the sake of Zionism, to host this exhibition.”
Entrance to the exhibition is free of charge, but reservations must be made in advance at 02-5439401. The museum is located at 20 Yosef Rivlin St., Nahalat Shiva, across the road from the Hillel Street entrance to Independence Park.
■ VISITORS TO Sokolov Park in Talbiyeh will see a new small, but very artistically attractive, structure which is a gift via the Jerusalem Foundation in memory of Elon Joseph Garfinkel, the only son of Jay and Renee Garfinkel, who died tragically at age 43.
His parents have established several projects that honor his memory, and this library in the park is one of them. When it’s not raining, Sokolov Park is full of parents and grandparents with young children, as well as dog owners who can allow their pets to run free in a specially enclosed area while the owners socialize, or relax on a bench in the park. Because the park is compact, with a central playground, adults don’t have to keep an ever watchful eye on the youngsters and can pay attention to their own needs and wishes.
Alternatively, they can go to the library with their little ones, and choose a book in English or Hebrew, which the parent or grandparent can read to the child, and thereby create an interest in books from an early age. There are also books for adults, which can be enjoyed by the many seniors who come to the park with their caregivers. A small plaque informs visitors that Elon Joseph Garfinkel was generous with his time and his books, with an ever willing ear for other people’s problems. Anyone looking for more information about him on the internet, will learn that as a boy, he used to give away his school lunches to less fortunate children, and as an adult, he had an extremely charitable disposition, giving not only his time, but also his money. Because he was so willing to share his books which meant so much to him, his parents thought that an appropriate way in which to memorialize him was to establish a small community library. People who want to make room on their bookshelves at home, can simply bring the books that are vacating the shelves, to the library in the park.
■ WHEN THE late Moshe Green was involved in the construction of the apartment tower at 22 Pinsker St. in Talbiyeh, it was one of the very few tall residential buildings in Jerusalem, though it is now dwarfed by several of the latest residential complexes in the city. However, what makes 22 Pinsker stand out is its sense of community.
An exquisite little ground floor synagogue, known as Migdal Hashmonaim attracts not only the residents, but also many other people who live within easy walking distance, and who prefer to pray there instead of at one of the many nearby options. Since the pandemic, daily services are held in the large plaza at the entrance to the building, and not in the synagogue. In addition, there are study and social activities that bring residents and their friends together. One such event was held last Saturday when residents Yocheved and Moshe Zemel hosted a kiddush in honor of her milestone birthday, the anniversary of the passing of his mother Rivkah Rochel Zemel and the centenary of a real estate firm which his father established in the US.
There were several non-residents present, including Barry and Dorraine Weiss, who walked from their home in Abu Tor. Barry Weiss happens to be 89-years-old. Making the effort to walk in both directions was indicative of the esteem in which the Zemels are held.
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