Yad Vashem expresses grief over death of employee who was Hamas hostage

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum says it mourns the death of Hamas hostage Alex Dancyg, who worked for the center.

“Alex’s essence embodied both in spirit and substance, his love for the land and thirst for knowledge. His vast library at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz reflected his deep connection between his cherished Israeli and Jewish identity and his Polish birthplace,” Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan says in a statement.

“Alex successfully integrated these perspectives into his teaching of the events of World War II in general, and of the Holocaust in particular. The news of his tragic death strengthens our commitment to ensure that Alex’s legacy and the stories he passionately preserved are never forgotten,” Dayan says.

Polish-born Dancyg moved to Israel in 1957 and worked for Yad Vashem to develop training courses for guides of Israeli youth trips to Poland as well as for Holocaust education programs there.