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Durban’s poignant ceremony to remember some of the fallen
The KwaZulu-Natal Zionist Council focused its Yom Hazikaron commemoration on the lives of six individuals who lost their lives during Operation Pillar of Defence, fallen soldiers and civilians among them.
MICHELLE CAMPBELL
On Sunday evening, some 120 community members heard poignant recollections from those who knew the six and audio-visual material from that time. They gently conveyed the experiences of those who took part in this operation in 2012 and the tragic loss of their loved ones’ lives.
The ceremony at the Durban Jewish Centre included a well-accepted talk by Cheryl Unterslak, the driving force behind an organisation called Durban-Israel Victims of Terror Enterprises (DIVOTE), which defines itself as a project of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness).
Founded in 2001 at the height of the Second Intifada in Israel by Durbanite John Moshal, the organisation is committed to advancing the cause of kindness in the face of violence and destruction.
DIVOTE runs a number of different projects which all give comfort, happiness, dignity and support to as many “heroes of terror” as possible.
The projects include filling backpacks or baby bags with gifts, clothes, and toys, to be sent to people of all religions and nationalities whose lives have been affected by terror in Israel.
Every single one of the 23 544 who gave their lives in defence of the State of Israel, and every one of the 3 117 victims of terror, was a son, a daughter, a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a beloved friend.
Theirs was the ultimate sacrifice in building and maintaining Am Yisrael Chai.