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Editor's Letter
A Hero's Story
I
attack, I decided one thing: to go back to the same spot in
t was May 19, 2003, a beautiful spring day in Israel.
time where everything stopped and to continue with my life."
Hadar Gitlin was two weeks into her job as a security
guard at Amakim Mall in Afula, a 15-minute drive from
Life Now
the Palestinian town of Jenin in the West Bank. Her workday
Hadar has taken up swimming and earned a gold medal in
ended abruptly but she became a hero. She helped shield
the Israeli championships. She is newly certified to coach kids
mall goers from a suicide bomber who blew herself up at the
up to age 16. She calls the pool her second home. Her dream
entryway. Miraculously, she survived
is to become a physical therapist to further help people regain
despite being less than 2 feet away.
their physical and emotional vigor.
"I don't remember the moment of
One Family helped Hadar move into a Moshav Kfar Baruch
the attack:' Hadar said in an exclusive
apartment near the home of her parents, Sara, an accountant,
interview on March 29 at the home of
and Meir, an agronomist. The agency still calls every month
Jeanette and Seymour Weissman in
to ask how she's doing.
Bloomfield Hills. "When my parents
While the Israeli government is supposed to help terror
told me that I stopped the terrorist
victims and their families, bureaucracy and massive defense
with my body, I started to cry."
spending have made that more difficult. One Family overrides
"I was happy that I succeeded in
the red tape thanks to generous donors around the world.
saving lives:' she added. "My parents
Accompanying Hadar to Metro Detroit was Yossi
raised me to help others and I think
Mendelevitch, who lost his 13-year-old son, Yuval, when a
that I do the best for them!'
bomb-carrying terrorist exploded on a Haifa bus packed with
Of all that I did last week, meeting this young woman, now
kids heading home from school on March 6, 2003. Terrorists
24, left the deepest impression. It helped me prioritize what's
target kids to try to break Israel's will and destroy its future.
important. I applaud her determination to not dwell about
Mendelevitch explained that One
what happened and instead go
Family has been there for the families
on with life. In a twist of fate,
of the 17 youngsters slain aboard
Hadar's sister, Mor, then a 19-
Egged Bus 37. .
year-old soldier, was wounded
With statehood in 1948, Israel built
in a 1995 bomb attack at Beit
its security and military to defend
Lid Junction.
civilians and keep them from the
Hadar visited Metro Detroit
:c1 line of fire. The start of a new, sus-
on behalf of the One Family
tained wave of Palestinian terror in
Fund, a nonprofit Israeli sup-
•= September 2000 put civilians on the
port service for victims of ter-
front line. That change exposed Israel's
ror and their families. Hadar
fff inadequate social welfare system.
and I spoke at a parlor meeting
2
One Family's top goal is to build a
called by four local couples:
$15 million endowment so the 823
Hadar Gitlin and Yossi Mendelevitch at the
Marcie and Ashley Israel, Lisa
kids orphaned because of terror can
Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit.
and Hannan Lis, Linda and
one day attend college. The fund
Robert Stulberg and Lori and
also covers the cost of Passover seders, summer and holiday
Robert Nusbaum. Together, they donated $10,000. The three-
camps and bar or bat mitzvahs. Donors also can "adopt" a
day visit raised $30,000.
family for a year as well as support the marriage and settle-
ment of one of the orphans.
Work, Then Horror
Fund-raising is only part of it. We Jews really are one family.
Hadar was supposed to get off work at 4 p.m. that fateful
"For my wife and myself, it is more personal:' said Ashley
Monday but agreed to stay till 6 when a co-worker asked her
Israel, a Farmington Hills developer. "We want to demonstrate
to cover for him. At 5 p.m., two hours before the Lag b'Omer
that we feel for these people, and that their losses and pain
bonfires, she and guard Kiryl Shremko, 22, confronted a
are not taken for granted in the diaspora." 111
woman with a bag at the gate of the mall. Hadar twice asked
the woman, Hiba Azam Dragma, 19, from the Palestinian vil-
One Family Fund's local contact: Ashley Israel: (248) 762-9205. The
lage of Tubas in the West Bank, to open her bag. Instead the
woman turned around and exploded, killing Kiryl. Two others Web site: www.onefamilyfund.org.
also died; 70 were hurt.
Hadar was unconscious six days, then spent two weeks in
Since Palestinian terror resumed in
d
intensive care. She was hospitalized for four months. She still
September 2000 ...
O
receives physical therapy three times a week. She lost one and
a half fingers and underwent skin grafts. Her body still hurts.
• Murder victims in Israel: at least 1,106
0
But what she most wanted to tell me about was inspiring
• People injured in Israel: at least 7,663
0-
terror and accident victims to go on. "When you try to under-
0
• Families aided by One Family: at least
stand what happened:' she said, "you can't because it makes
2,400
cf)
no sense. When I can help others, it gives me a lot of strength.
1—
• The Fund's dispersal: at least
I love to help people."
$12.3 million
Hadar told the parlor meeting of 40 One Family donors,
O.
"From the moment that I opened my eyes after the terrorist
o
-Z-AC POSEN
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April 6 • 2006
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