DIALOG.......................
Dear friends,
This week IJL was undergoing through next step of technical development implementing new interface to AmIsraelHi.com that will be activated by Monday June 24.
We are glad to welcome 26 new members from USA - California, New York, Ohio, and Maine;
Canada: Ontario; Mexico; Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh; China: Beijing; Australia; Austria; Netherlands; and Italy.
Unfortunately, this week's other events are:
June 16: private construction company from Haifa have begun building of 100km-long wall between Israel and Palestinian controlled territories according to pre 1967 borders.
June 17 : Debates in Knesset against wall construction.
June 18 : 8:00 AM. Suicide-bomber explodes himself inside of Eged bus #32 killing 17 Israeli civilians, 52 injured (5 in critical condition) in Gilo, Jerusalem.
June 18 : 8:00 P.M. Smaller Cabinet of Israeli government decides to bring back IDF to some of the hot-spots throughout Palestinian controlled territories, postponing however major retaliation.
June 18 : 8:30 P.M. Smaller Cabinet of Israeli government decides DO NOT peruse with deportation of Yasser Arafat in despite that he was acknowledged as person who is fully responsible for the act of terrorism by allowing it to happen.
June 19 : 2:00 P.M. Initiated by Yeshiva University (NY, USA) students Israeli support movement announces dedication of 1% of income earned during summer to the Israel support and recovery program.
June 19 : 21:15 P.M. Suicide-bomber, member of Al Aksa Brigades (FATH) explodes himself on busy intersection of Givat-Tsarfatit, Jerusalem, killing 6 Israeli civilians, 43 injured (3 in critical condition).
The bomber jumped out of a car at the French Hill junction and, as Border Patrolmen on duty at the scene began to approach him, he ran past them toward the crowded bus stop on the eastern side of the road, setting off the bomb he was carrying in a crowd of people. Three Israelis and four others died in hospital. About 50 were wounded by shrapnel that was packed around the explosive, with several in critical and serious condition, including one of the Border Patrolmen who had tried to stop the bomber.
June 19 : 21:30 P.M. Two IDF solders killed during anti-terrorist operation in Calkilia, five solders injured (two in critical condition )
June 20 : 23:00 P.M. Five Israelis killed, three of them c hildren and
their Mother, in Palestinian t error assault on Itamar, seven injured (two seriously).
Victims:
June 18:
Shiri Nagari, 21 of Jerusalem;
was to have celebrated her 22nd birthday in 10 days and her family had planned a surprise birthday party for her. Her brother Shahar, 15, said Shiri had missed her regular bus to work at Bank Leumi in Jerusalem and he and their mother had taken her on a short cut so she would not have to wait for the next one. Shiri was mortally injured in the explosion and died on the operating table.
Iman Kabha, 26, of Barta;
the sixth in a family of seven children from the Arab Israeli village of Barta in the Lower Galilee, was a first year student at the David Yellin Teachers College in Jerusalem, where he was studying special education and Hebrew.
Orit Hayla, 21, of Jerusalem;
immigrated to Israel with her family from Ethiopia when she was four years old. Her family settled in Ashkelon. After finishing her studies at the Washington Hill high school near Ashdod, she did national service, and then went to study at Midreshet Atarot in Jerusalem. She lived in Gilo with a friend, and worked as a saleswoman.
Baruch Gruani, 60, of Jerusalem;
a retired employee of Israel Military Industries, was born in Jerusalem, and liked to describe his life in the divided city during his youth. His son, Doron, described his father as "a religious man, careful to pray and study Torah - a modest, quiet, humble man, who helped everyone who needed it." Yesterday, despite the warnings that a suicide bomber had entered the city, he boarded the bus to visit a friend downtown.
Tatiana Braslavsky, 41, of Jerusalem;
immigrated to Israel 11 years ago from Samara, Russia with her husband Alex and son Igor. An engineer, she worked for a construction company and took her regular bus to work. Igor, 15, who used to accompany her every morning, left the house early this time. "It was a miracle," said friends.
Rafael Berger, 28, of Jerusalem;
was born in Jerusalem and graduated from the Hebrew University high school. After completing his army service in the armored corps, he received a B.A. degree in chemistry from Tel-Aviv University. Last month, he completed his Master's degree in physical chemistry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A year and a half ago he married Orit Ezra, a music teacher. Rafael also loved music and literature.
Mendel Bereson, 72, of Jerusalem;
immigrated to Israel from S. Petersburg in 1991 with his wife Sophia and daughter Nina. His son Simion had immigrated a year earlier. A shoemaker in Russia, he continued in the same profession in downtown Jerusalem. He was on his way to work when he was killed. Relatives said he loved life. "He was the center of the entire family," they said. Mendel's son Simion said, "He was a true Zionist who always said that the Jews have only one state. At the same time, until his last day, he was optimistic and believed in peace with the Palestinians." Bereson was a child during World War II and most of his family was killed in the Holocaust.
Shani Avi-Zedek, 15, of Jerusalem;
a 10th grade student at Boyer High School, was to have flown next Sunday to Berlin as part of a youth delegation to meet with German youth; she was chosen because she was an excellent student. Yesterday, she was on for a fun day in the pool when she was killed.
Shani, who would have been 16 next month, was the second of four children. She danced for years in the Mehola dance troupe and as part of her personal volunteer program, mentored the child of a disabled veteran.
Galila Bugala, 11, of Jerusalem;
was born in Israel to a family of Christian Ethiopians who immigrated to Israel 20 years ago. Shortly after her birth, the family returned to Ethiopia, but four years ago, they moved back to Jerusalem, where her parents worked in the hotel industry. Galila attended the Paula Ben-Gurion school in Rehavia and was busy planning her class's end-of-year party, of which she was in charge.
Boaz Aluf, 54, Jerusalem;
was on his way to work at the Tefahot Bank's computer department when he was killed. Friends and relatives described him as "God-fearing and modest." His wife Gila is a nurse at Kupat Holim. They celebrated their son Barak's bar mitzva just a month ago. Boaz survived by his wife and five children aged 10 to 18.
Michal Biazi, 24, of Jerusalem;
had not traveled by bus in years. She and her husband Barak, who were married two years ago, were in their car, on their way to work, when she remembered that she had forgotten the bag she had prepared with a change of clothes for a family celebration later in the day. Barak went back home to get the bag. Michal, who did not want to be late for work at the Ministry of Tourism, boarded the bus and was killed.
Leah Baruch, 59, Jerusalem;
worked for the past 23 years at the President's official residence, as head of housekeeping. She kept house for presidents Chaim Herzog, Ezer Weizman and Moshe Katsav. Yitzhak Herzog, the late president's son recalled yesterday this his parents hired Baruch as the first family's housekeeper and "a warm personal relationship blossomed" between them during Herzog's years in office. Leah was a compassionate woman - towards people, towards the cats and dogs she adopted, and towards the plants she nurtured at the President's residence. She immigrated to Israel from Iraq at the age of six, after the death of her father. As a child, she was forced to help out supporting the family and learned to read and write in evening classes. She lost her hearing and her sight in one eye as a result of complications from a childhood illness. She was divorced many years ago, and raised her two daughters alone.
Raisa Dikstein, 67, of Jerusalem;
immigrated to Israel from Moscow a year and a half ago. In Russia, she was a teacher and her only relative in Israel is a nephew, Idan Dikstein. Her brother, Igor, lives in Moscow. Raisa was a teacher in a technical college in Russia, and after retirement began to learn Hebrew and to translate books from Hebrew to Russian, especially about the Holocaust. She was attending classes at an ulpan in Jerusalem to improve her knowledge of Hebrew. She was on her way to class when she was killed.
Helena Ivan, 63, Jerusalem;
lived with pediatrician Dr. Irina Minei and her son Yon in Gilo. Yon Minei said Helena was a lonely woman who had no relatives. She began to work for the family about 35 years ago when she cared for Yon and his sister back in Romania. Yon relates how Helena rescued him from an earthquake in Bucharest when he was eight. Helena came to Israel with the Minei family 20 years ago. Yon's father, Dr. Nicolai Minei, died three years ago. "She tied her fate to ours," said Yon. "She was like a second mother to me."
Dr. Moshe Gottlieb, 70, of Jerusalem;
boarded the bus in the morning en route to Bnei Brak, where he was due to work with a group of children with Down's Syndrome. For years, he had been treating them for free once a week. Gottlieb, who immigrated to Israel with his family from the United States 24 years ago, was a chiropractor and maintained a private practice in both Jerusalem and Bnei Brak.
Rahamim Zidkiyahu, 51, of Jerusalem;
the driver of the bus that exploded, had worked as an Egged driver since 1975. His cousin Yaron described him as a man full of the joy of life - always smiling, an exemplary father, someone who always gave of himself to others. He was also a devoted fan of the Betar Jerusalem soccer team and was its regular driver for many years. Rahamim was killed in his seat, his hands still on the steering wheel. He had replaced the scheduled driver, who was late for his shift. He was planning to return home by 9:30 to see the soccer match between Japan and Turkey. He had been planning to take his youngest son, Ron, to Euro Disney in Paris to celebrate his bar mitzva next month.
Liat Yagen, 24, of Jerusalem;
took the same bus as her 16-year-old brother Yoni. He sat toward the back with some of his friends while she sat toward the front. Yoni, who was lightly injured; his sister was mortally wounded and died shortly afterwards in hospital. Liat worked in a lawyers' office, after completing her national service in the police headquarters.
Yelena Plagov, 42, of Jerusalem;
was a new immigrant from Russia. Her husband, Andrei, arrived about 18 months ago to get established and Yelena followed with their three children, aged 6, 12 and 19, six months ago. The couple found an apartment in Gilo. "Yelena began studying Hebrew at an ulpan in the center of town and traveled to class on the 32A bus each morning," said Andrei. Their eldest daughter was supposed to accompany her mother on Tuesday, but overslept.
Gila Nakav, 55, of Jerusalem;
lived in Gilo with her youngest daughter Noa. She was born in France and immigrated to Israel 30 years ago to realize her mother's dream, after her mother, a Holocaust survivor, died of cancer. At first, she lived in kibbutzim and then moved to Jerusalem. For many years, she was a travel agent in Jerusalem and in recent months began work in the offices of the archaeological excavations in the City of David. Although relatives tried to persuade her to move somewhere else, she said she loved Jerusalem and wanted to remain here.
June 19
Hadassah Jungreis, 20, of Migdal haEmek;
was born in Afula and grew up in Migdal Haemek. She attended primary school in at the Beit Ya'akov school in Haifa, and high school at the Ulpana in Kfar Pines. She completed her national service and began to study communications several months ago at the Orot College in Elkana. She was on her way to visit her uncle, Zvika, who was to pick her up at the French Hill junction. Her friend Michal Franklin accompanied her there; both were killed.
Michal Franklin, 22, of Jerusalem;
grew up in the Jewish quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, the eldest in a family of six. Her parents had immigrated to Israel from South Africa. Michal attended the Zviya Ulpana high school and did her national service in Tiberias, working with disadvantaged children. She had a beautiful voice and loved to play the guitar.
On the day she was killed, Michal had just completed her courses for a B.A. in educational counseling and history at the Orot College in Elkana - completing the degree in just three instead of four years. She woke up in the morning, excited about finishing her studies, and said, "What a wonderful day." Michal, who was on her way to a celebratory dinner with her parents, accompanied her friend and fellow student, Hadassah Jungreis, to the hithhiking stand at the French Hill junction, and was killed together with her.
Gal Eisenman, 5, of Maale Adumim;
had gone in the afternoon with her mother and baby brother to an end-year party organized by her grandmother, Noa Alon, a kindergarten teacher in Ofra. They had returned to Jerusalem and were waiting at the French Hill junction for the bus back home in Ma'ale Adumim. Gal was killed along with her grandmother. Her father, a doctor at Sha'are Zedek hospital, identified her body. Her mother and brother were seriously injured.
Noa Alon, 60, of Ofra;
a kindergarten teacher in Ofra, organized an end-year party for the children. She invited her daughter and two grandchildren to attend the party in the afternoon. They had returned to Jerusalem and were waiting for the bus at the French Hill junction to return to her daughter's home in Ma'ale Adumim, where Noa was to babysit for her two grandchildren. Noa was killed in the explosion, along with her granddaughter Gal Eisenman (5). Her daughter and infant grandson were seriously injured.
Shmuel Yerushalmi, 17, of Shilo;
was a student at the yeshiva high school in Itamar, where three students killed on May 28, when a Palestinian gunman infiltrated the community and opened fire on the teenagers. Shmuel, who was unharmed in the attack, delivered a eulogy at the grave of his good friend, Avi Siton.
Shmuel lived in Shilo since the age of one. He was a counseler in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, who could always be relied on if something had to be organized. He had spent the day in Jerusalem to take and exam and visit his grandmother. He was mortally wounded while waiting to catch a bus or a ride home, and died in hospital.
Gila Kessler, 19, of Eli;
grew up in Eli. A gifted gymnast and swimmer, she attended the High School for the Arts in Jerusalem, majoring in dance, and completed her high school studies in the United States. Gila was in the first year of her national service, in the framework of the Jewish Agency, in a project of on-line learning with Jewish communities abroad. Her parents were divorced several years ago, and her father lives in the United States. The eldest in the family, she lived at home in order to help her mother rather than staying in the apartment in Jerusalem provided by the national service. She was killed on her way home.
June 20
Rachel Shabo and three of her children were murdered by terrorists who infiltrated
into the Shomron community of Itamar on Thursday night.
Also murdered were three of her boys, Nerya, 15, Tzvika, 12, and Avishai , 5, as well as a neighbor Yossi Toyto, who responded to assist in saving the family. Among the wounded is another child of the family, a 10-year-old boy in serious condition and his sister, 13, with moderate-to-serious chest wounds.
NEWS FLASH:
Avraham Eliyahu Nehmad, 17, who was wounded in the terror bombing
in Jerusalem's Beit Yisrael neighborhood four months ago, died of his wounds overnight.
Since Sept. 2000, 558 Israelis have been murdered and 4150 have been seriously injured.
