During a professional visit to New York by senior officials from Israel's Heritage Ministry, led by Architect Shira Shapira, Deputy Director General of Tekuma Region at the Heritage Ministry, the delegation met with 9/11 Memorial Museum representatives. During the visit, the team also met with the staff of the Israeli Consulate in New York.
A unique mezuzah, crafted from trees damaged in the terrorist attack at the Nova music festival in Re'im, was presented this week to the Israeli Consulate in New York. The mezuzah was handcrafted by youth from the Gaza envelope communities, who chose to transform remnants of terror into a symbol of continuity, faith, and hope.
"This is not just a mezuzah," said Itai Granek, Director General of the Heritage Ministry, during the meeting. "It embodies the story of the Jewish people - the ability to transform pain into hope, destruction into renewal. Everyone who sees this mezuzah at the consulate will understand the strength of spirit of the Gaza envelope residents."
Deputy Consul General in New York, Tzachi Saar, received the special mezuzah with deep emotion. "This mezuzah will serve as a living testament to the resilience of the Jewish people," said Saar. "It will tell the story of the young people from the Gaza envelope who chose to create beauty from destruction."
Elad Ahrenfeld, CEO of the Israel Government Tourist Corporation, who participated in the meeting, emphasized: "The connection between commemoration, heritage, and tourism is crucial at this time. We are witnessing how heritage and memorial sites are becoming pilgrimage destinations, connecting visitors to the Israeli story in an unmediated way, creating what we call 'commemorative tourism.'"
The Heritage Ministry and the Israel Government Tourist Corporation are currently working on establishing a heritage complex commemorating the October 2023 events in the Tekuma Region of the Gaza envelope. As part of this initiative, both organizations are managing the burned vehicles site in Tekuma, which serves as a silent witness to the events of that terrible day and draws thousands of visitors daily.
The mezuzah will be placed in the Israeli Consulate in New York, where it will serve as a perpetual reminder of the power of the human spirit and the resilience of Israeli society.