Today for the first time a memorial day was held in the village of Shiloah (Silwan) - also known as the Yemenite village - for Shlomo Madmoni, who was murdered in 1939 on his way to the village to save the Torah scroll and other synagogue property that was badly damaged during the Arab riots led by Haj Amin al-Husseini against the Jewish community.
The annual memorial day was initiated by the public council of the Shiloah village headed by Gadi Bashari, a member of the Zionist Archive.
During the memorial service, a marble plaque was placed in memory of Madmoni and his work to save the village, and for the first time in 82 years since the murder – the Kaddish was recited in the old Yemenite synagogue by Rahamim Madmoni, 86, the son of Shlomo Madmoni.
The historic memorial service was attended by the Minister of Regional Cooperation, Ophir Akunis, who toured the Ohel Shlomo Synagogue in the Shiloah Village (Silwan) to learn the story of the historic and renewed Jewish settlement in the village and to follow the progress of restoration of the village and establishing the Yemenite Heritage center in the area of the Old Yemenite synagogue, dating back to the beginning of the first Aliyah in the 1880's .
Minister Akunis said during the ceremony: "This is a historic day in a historic place. We are closing a circle that began with the Jewish settlement here in the village of Shiloah in the 19th century, with the arrival of the first immigrants from Yemen. As I use to say in Holy places like this – we are back to settle this place forever and have no intention to leave it again".
Rahamim Madmoni said: "It is very moving to be here in the place where my father, peace be upon him, went to save a Torah scroll. I close the circle with my father and I am sure that he is very proud at this moment. We continue the heritage of our ancestors, here and all over Israel".
Council head Gadi Bashari stated: "Following the publication of a news item in the Yisrael Hayom newspaper about the establishment of the public council of Kfar Hashiloach, Rachel, a granddaughter of Shlomo Madmoni [May G-d avenge his blood] living in Boston, told me excitedly that she received the article from friends, and thanks to the connection that was created, Madmoni's son arrived today to say Kaddish for his father in the Yemenite synagogue".
Daniel Luria, Executive Director of the Ateret Cohanim organization, stated: "Today we came full circle. 82 years ago in January 1939, Shlomo Madmoni from the old Yemenite Village of Shiloach, was murdered by Arabs in January 1939, for simply being a Jew trying to salvage a Sefer Torah from his ransacked village. The British Authorities were helpless and refused to help or protect the Jews at the time, But today, with Israeli policemen standing nearby in the Jewish State of Israel, Reb Shlomo's son said Kaddish, while his grandchildren answered Amen, as they all stood at the memorial spot, overlooking the Shiloach, where Jewish life has once again been reestablished with 23 Jewish families. It was an emotional and symbolic statement: We have indeed returned home to the Shiloach and "Shlomo Madmoni" lives on !!!"