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AACI Memorial Forest & Annual Ceremony
On the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, near the vital pass of Shaar Hagai (view map) where fierce battles raged in 1948, stands a forest established by the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel in conjunction with the Jewish National Fund.
The first trees were planted following the Six-Day War in 1967 to honor the memory of those olim from North America and members of their families who fell in Israel’s wars. The forest is a living memorial, an eternal link between the fallen fighters and the land they loved. The scope has since been expanded to include those who fell in the pre-State days, as well as in terrorist attacks, including tourists and temporary residents.  It serves as a site of remembrance and reflection for Israelis and visitors alike. Since before the establishment of the State, more than 300 American and Canadians have fallen in Israel’s wars, defensive actions, and terrorist attacks. Their sacrifice has preserved the State of Israel for the Jewish people.
Once a year AACI holds a Memorial Service at the forest to remember those who have fallen over the past year, as well as those who preceded them.  The AACI Memorial Ceremony is held each year during the High Holiday season to honor the memory of those North Americans, or AACI members, and members of their immediate families who have fallen while in service to the State of Israel or as victims of terror. This is a moving tribute to those who made the supreme sacrifice so that Israel can exist as an independent and strong Jewish state.AACI Memorial Ceremony This year’s ceremony will be held on Monday, October 25th, 2010, 17 Heshvan 5771 at 3 pm at the AACI Memorial Forest near the Sha’ar HaGai junction between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
At the ceremony we will honor the memory of Steve Averbach æ"ì and add his name to the Memorial Plaque, where it will join the names of more than 300 others who have fallen since the days of Tel Chai.
 Our main speaker this year will be Barbara Sofer, Israel Director of Public Relations and Communications for Hadassah, and a regular columnist for the Jerusalem Post. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Hebrew University, she is the author of several books and a well-known speaker on behalf of Israel and Zionist causes. Barbara is the recipient of seven Rockower Journalism awards for outstanding Jewish journalism, and of the Sydney Taylor Award in 1996 for the best Jewish children’s book for her Shalom, Haver. She won the 2004 Special Award of the Israeli Association of Public Relations for her international campaign, “Island of Sanity” about the ability of Hadassah staff to maintain their values despite the experience of terror. The theme of Ms. Sofer's talk will be "There's No Need to Airbrush Our Heroes."
Bus transportation will be available from Jerusalem. For additional information, phone AACI, 02 - 5661181.
Donna Grushka
Rabbi Jay Karzen
Co-chairmen, Memorial Committee
Mark your calendar and plan to join us for the ceremony. For additional information, call 02- 566-1181.
Visit AACI’s Memorial Wall Located in the forest near Sha’ar Hagai, AACI’s Memorial Wall is an inspiration to us all. The AACI is now offering to supply a volunteer who will meet you, drive you to the site and guide you –including a visit to the nearby JNF overlook describing the 1948 battles to break the blockade of If you are available to occasionally drive to the site, or you – or someone you know – are interested in being shown the Memorial, please let our Jerusalem office (tel: 02-5617151) or Judy Cohen (02-6514392) know. |
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