Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
The original photograph that was the model for the sculpture on display in Jerusalem. The names of the people in the photo, from left to right,as described by Avichai Cohen, are: Ezra Gafni (Zviv), my uncle, who today lives in Binyamina; Zecharia Zviv, z"l, my uncle, who lived in Kfar Saba, whose children can share his story; my aunt Yona Bura (Zviv), who today lives in Petach Tikva; My grandfather, Chaim, Z'l, who is holding the Torah and lived in Binyamina; Grandmother Sada (Mazal), z"l, holding baby Rachamim Gefen (Zviv) who lives in Haifa; The women at the far left are my mother's sister, Shoshana Klaf (Evron) and their mother Lulva D'Hari (my great grandmother.)
The sculpture, titled the Departure and Expulsion Memorial, is the only one of its kind that represents the Sephardi Jewish Nakba.
Jerry Klinger, president and founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, contacted the Heritage after reading the article "Podcast series 'The Forgotten Exodus' tells overlooked stories of Jews from Arab Lands" published in the Aug. 5 issue of Heritage. He wanted to share about a sculpture on display outdoors at the Sephardi Memorial in Jerusalem that was created by noted Jerusalem sculptor Sam Philipe from a picture of a family literally walking across barren land to Israel from Yemen.
Klinger also sent a portion of an email he received from Avichai Cohen, whose mother's family was one of the more than 800,000 Jews driven out of their centuries old communities. Her family made Aliyah on foot from Yemen in 1948 and are pictured in the photo. Heritage did not use this photo in the article, although other publications did. The photo is of Cohen's grandfather, Mori Chaim Zviv, carrying the Torah. It was taken by a British soldier at the Hashd Camp, where the Yemenite Jews stopped en route to Israel.
"During the life of my grandfather, now in his 90s, this photo was published in books about Aliyah, such as 'Amud Haesh' ('Pillar of Fire.') It became an icon of Zionism, a realization of its dream and its optimism, showing the passion and dedication of the Yemenite Jews to living in Israel," Cohen told Klinger. "Because of this, it is important to me to honor my grandfather, Chaim Zviv, who brought his family through great difficulties and a strong spirit to Israel in order to realize the story of our heritage through many generations, and to respect the people in the photos who are still alive."
Klinger recognized the importance of this piece of Jewish history and commissioned Philipe to make a sculpture from the photo. The sculpture is the first-ever permanent Memorial to the Jews from Arab countries and Iran, and is located on the Sherover Promenade adjacent to the Hass Promenade in Jerusalem.
The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation conceived, funded, and fabricated the Memorial with support from the City of Jerusalem, the World Sephardi Federation, and the Jerusalem Foundation.
The Memorial is formally titled the Departure and Expulsion Memorial. The title follows the theme of a long-overdue Knesset Law passed in 2014, which requires the teaching of what happened to the Jews from Arab lands and Iran with the birth of Israel.
Until the 2014 Knesset law was passed there was no annual formal recognition of the Sephardi/Mizrahi experience.
"I aim to tell the authentic experiences, or witness through these icons the memory, similar to the well-known photo of the Paratroupers at the Kotel in 1967, who are remembered during that event and after," said Cohen. "I want to share their stories, and to give credit where due to these images in the photo."
Klinger saw the opportunity to honor Cohen's wish through this sculpture.
In his Time of Israel blog, Klinger wrote, "The Departure and Expulsion Memorial, the Jewish Nakba Memorial, may be the most important. It is more than for memory. It is a tool for the defense of Israel."
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