The 15th of Sivan, June 13, marked the third anniversary of the kidnapping of Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frankel and Eyal Yifrach, H”yd. On Thursday evening, June 1, the 7th of Sivan, Unity Week in memory of the beloved sons of Am Yisroel was launched in Talmon, the Binyamin community where the Shaer family resides. A marathon run began at the entrance to Talmon, and went through the yishuv and along the newly constructed promenade called B’shvil Gil-Ad, translated as “on the road of Gil-Ad,” but also understood as “for the sake of Gil-Ad,” a newly constructed road that connects Talmon to the adjacent yishuv of Neria. The road, constructed shortly after the brutal murder of the boys, is lit up by multiple lights, provides benches along the route and features festive Israeli music several nights a week. The “shvil” has become an attraction for local residents where they can jog or simply walk peacefully and securely. The 2-10K marathon, marking its 10th year, attracted hundreds of local runners from neighboring yishuvim in addition to runners from across the country wishing to pay tribute to the memory of Gil-Ad as well as to the memories of recently murdered Talmon resident Elchai Tahar-Lev, H”yd, and Roi Arbel, H”yd, murdered years ago on the road to Talmon.
In an interview with Bat-Galim Shaer for The Jewish Link, she recalled the inspirational words of Rav Chaim Druckman, chairman of Mercaz Yeshivot Bnei Akiva and one of the originators of Yeshivot Hesder, who eternalized the tragic events by saying, “In looking for the boys, we found ourselves.” Shaer added: “We found the best in ourselves.” In keeping with this mission, the three families have joined forces in keeping the memories of the boys alive through unifying events throughout Israel and in 26 countries throughout the world.
Programs are held throughout Israel in schools, army units, police headquarters and community centers, which seek to promote better communication between all segments of the community. A nationwide bake sale, promoted through the Facebook site Ha Mitbach Shel Gil-Ad (the kitchen of Gil-Ad), urges individuals to bake cakes that they then distribute to individuals with whom they had not been connected before. This project has been duplicated in England, Germany, Russia and Ethiopia. A similar project was held on Purim in memory of the boys when individuals made up mishloach manot packages and distributed them to individuals whom they did not previously know. Over 2,000 packages were distributed at Ben-Gurion Airport this past Purim in a gesture of unity and togetherness.
Mayor Nir Barkat of Yerushalayim established a non-profit organization with the three families to award a special prize to deserving individuals and communities in memory of the three boys. This year, the prize was divided into three categories—local, national and international. On the local level, the prize will go to the community of Hadar in Haifa, a mixed community of chareidim, dati-leumim, Russians and Arabs, who function harmoniously on projects for the betterment of the entire kehilla. The national award went to a Druze woman, Dr. Janan Farag Fallach, from Acco, who has devoted her life to empowering women, Jews and Arabs alike. The international award went to Limmud, an international organization promoting the exploration of Torah thoughts across ideological divides. Each prize is accompanied by a monetary award of 100,000 shekels.
Other Unity Week celebrations throughout the country included a music festival called Naj Hamadi, featuring journalists from throughout the country singing in a choral group. Haifa and Jerusalem hosted concerts, arts and crafts stations and even sign language kiosks emphasizing the idea of communication through different media and on all levels. Dialogues between divergent groups will be held throughout Unity Week nationally and internationally. Last year, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the UK, hosted a unity session in his home attended by representatives of the various religious communities throughout Britain. African and Australian communities hosted unity gatherings as well.
The Shaers’ message to the international community when marking Unity Week in memory of their beloved Gil-Ad together with Naftali and Eyal is to “focus upon those aspects of our lives which unite us rather than divide us, remember that we are one nation and set the stage for future generations to further the cause of unity.”
To learn more about the activities in memory of Gil-Ad, Naftali and Eyal, email [email protected].
By Pearl Markovitz
