OneFamily holds annual memorial service for victims of terror

Concerned that bereaved families and survivors of terrorism often feel sidelined at Israel’s yearly Memorial Day ceremonies that focus primarily on fallen soldiers, the organization OneFamily has taken steps to correct the situation. On Tuesday, it held its own annual remembrance service for the children and young adults who have lost close family members or been injured in terrorist attacks in Israel.

Noting that this year marks a decade since many of the deadliest attacks of the Second Intifada, the ceremony held at the OneFamily foundation headquarters in Jerusalem’s German Colony neighborhood enabled family members not only to speak of their losses, but to also share many inspirational stories of survival.

One such story shared at this week’s event was that of Oran Almog, who was seriously injured on October 4, 2003 in the bombing of Maxim restaurant in Haifa which killed 21 people, including Oran’s father Moshe and his brother Tomer, as well as his grandparents and a cousin. Oran, his mother and sister were all seriously injured in the attack, and Oran permanently lost his eyesight. Despite his blindness, in November 2011 Oran enlisted in the IDF’s Intelligence Corps.

OneFamily was established in 2002 by Chantal and Marc Belzberg, inspired by their 12-year old daughter’s desire to donate the gifts from her bat mitzvah to victims of the August 9, 2001 bombing at Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem that killed 15 people and injured 130.

In 2011 OneFamily was awarded the Presidential Citation for Volunteerism.