Decades after it was destroyed by the IDF for security purposes, parts of the "Golem" statue have been uncovered near Kibbutz Nahal Oz near the Gaza border, according to a statement from the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel (CCHSI).
The Golem, a work by sculptor Arye Ben-David, was installed at the kibbutz to commemorate those who fell defending the Israeli towns surrounding Gaza. It portrays two soldiers, one looking out to the horizon with the other wounded at his feet.
During the tensions leading up to the Six Day War, Israeli security forces worried that the monument would help aggressors target Kibbutz Nahal Oz more easily, so they destroyed it in an explosion.
Recent preservation efforts
Recently, as part of an IDF endeavor to further conceal the kibbutz from incoming rockets, construction workers uncovered parts of the monument. Now, the CCHSI is considering ways to preserve it.
"The 'Golem' statue still represents the reality surrounding Gaza - security and settlement...Together with the residents of Nahal Oz, the CCHSI wishes to [recognize] the place as a heritage site, to make it accessible to the general public and to place a blue heritage sign ... that will [share] the fascinating story of the statue."
Kibbutz Nahal Oz's ''Golem'' monument before its demolition in the 1960s. (credit: COURTESY OF MORAN FREIBACH/KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ)Kibbutz Nahal Oz is a frequent target for rockets from Gaza. Most recently, in February, kibbutz residents heard rocket sirens before the IDF intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza headed in their direction.
