A memorial event for the three members of the Dee family murdered by terrorists during Passover 2023 will be held in Efrat on Sunday, April 7 - the anniversary of the attack. It will be an evening of Torah and musical reflection in the new events hall above the Mishkan Tziporah synagogue in Efrat, to be dedicated to the memory of Lucy Dee with the name “Shirat Lucy” (Lucy’s song).
On April 7, 2023, Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee were driving on Route 57 to Tiberius to spend the second half of the Passover holiday with family from overseas. Near the Hamra junction, their car was attacked by terrorists, who shot the two girls and critically injured Lucy, who passed away two days later. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the three terrorists involved were later neutralized (in May 2023) and their Nablus homes demolished (in February 2024).
The memorial event on April 7 marks the civil date of the terror attack, because such events are not held during the Passover holiday itself. The family will hold a private gathering at the graves of Lucy, Maia and Rina later in the week, and a communal tree-planting ceremony will take place on Friday April 5. This is part of a bigger project to create a community garden in Efrat in memory of Maia. Other memorials to the three women include a youth building dedicated to Rina, a park dedicated to the family, and synagogue halls dedicated to Lucy.
The speakers at the memorial event will include Rabbi Leo Dee, daughters Keren and Tali Dee, and Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, who has expressed her admiration for the example set by the Dee family in uniting the Jewish people following their tragic bereavement. Her speech will be followed by a musical reflection led by internationally acclaimed musician Rabbi Shlomo Katz.
Rabbi Leo Dee said: “As we approach the holiday of Pesach this year, with the war against Hamas raging in Gaza and our hostages held captive by terrorists, we hope to find inspiration by remembering the lives of my wife and daughters, and reflecting on how Jewish history has consisted of tragedies followed by leaps towards redemption.”