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Michal Salomon and her children

Children of terror victim attend special summer camp

Michal Salomon and her 3 elder children—whose father Elad, grandfather Yosef and aunt Haya were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Halamish last month—joined other kids who were hurt or lost loved ones in terror attacks for a fun activity organized by ZAKA Israel; 'It's a shame dad wasn't with us, because he would have enjoyed it a lot,' says 9-year-old Reut Salomon.

Some 150 children who are either hurt or lost loved ones in terror attacks arrived at the Ben Shemen Forest in central Israel on Sunday for a special summer camp.

 

 

Among the campers were three of the children of Elad Salomon, 35, who was murdered along with his father Yosef, 70, and sister Haya, 46, by a terrorist who infiltrated the family home in the settlement of Halamish last month.

 

"This summer, because of the attack, we haven't done any activities," said Elad's widow Michal, who brought their three elder children to the camp—Avinoam, 10.5, Reut, 9, and Amitai, 5. "I'm glad this activity gave us the opportunity to break away from everyday routine."

 

Michal Salomon, right, with her children (l-r) Amitai, Avinoam and Reut.
Michal Salomon, right, with her children (l-r) Amitai, Avinoam and Reut.

 

"It's a miracle we're alive," she added. "It's thanks to my late husband, who fought the terrorist with all of his strength, and I admire him for that."

 

While the children enjoyed the drum circles and jeep tours led by the Jeep Unit of ZAKA Israel, they did miss their father dearly.

 

"It's a shame dad wasn't with us, because he would have enjoyed it a lot," said nine-year-old Reut. "We think about him all the time. During today's activity, we were able to forget about the attack for a little bit and managed to have some fun."

 

Other campers include the children of the Shabo family from Itamar, which lost five of its members in 2002 when two Palestinian terrorists broke into their home, and Ayala Shapira, who suffered serious burns when a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the car she was traveling in.

 

Elad Salomon's children with their cousins
Elad Salomon's children with their cousins

 

Apart from the Salomon family, the rest of the campers headed at the end of the day to Eilat for three days.

 

"Families who experienced disasters, such as serious terror attacks, don't forget the sights and feelings for the rest of their lives," explained ZAKA CEO Israel Hezi Shavaks. "That is why we view it as very important to allow them to have experiences that could help them forget the difficult times, if only a little bit."

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.14.17, 23:49
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