Ceremony of commemorating Jews killed in antisemitic incidents takes place today
foto: PUBLIKA.MD
The Jewish Agency for Israel is holding a memorial ceremony on Tuesday morning for fallen soldiers of the Israeli armed forces and victims of hostile acts in Israel, as well as in the memory of Jews murdered in antisemitic incidents around the world, reports jpost.com.
Victims of antisemitic attacks in synagogues in the United States are at the center of this year's memorial ceremony. Attendees include the US Ambassador David Friedman, Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Federation director Jeff Finkelstein, Marnie Feinberg, the daughter-in-law of the late Joyce Feinberg who was murdered in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog.
All four attendees will light a memorial beacon together. Both Friedman and Finkelstein are the keynote speakers at the event.
In the last six months, 12 Jews have been murdered in antisemitic incidents in the United States, including the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, in October 2018, and at the Chabad synagogue in Poway, San Diego, in April 2019.
The victims of the two shooting attacks will be at the center of the Jewish Agency's Memorial Day, as well as Jews murdered in acts of terrorism in Israel and in the Diaspora.
According to the Jewish Agency, since the establishment of the State of Israel, some 200 Jews have been murdered in antisemitic and terrorist attacks throughout the world.
"The names of the victims will be engraved on a memorial wall that will be placed at the center of the ceremony. This year, the names of the 12 victims killed in the two shooting attacks in synagogues in the United States were added," the Jewish Agency said in a statement.
Other attendees include Zionist Organization chairman Avraham Duvdevani, director of the Jewish Federations of North America in Israel Rebecca Caspi, , CEO of the Jewish Federation of Canada Yossi Tanuri, Keren Hayesod representative Danny Viterbo and JNF deputy chairman Yair Lootstein.