For the first time: “Memory in the living room” in Arab countries

by

Today (Wednesday) was the first and unique event of “Living in Memory” through Zoom, in Arabic and with the participation of dozens of network activists and bloggers from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

The new Israeli ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Eitan Na’a, a second-generation Holocaust survivor who began his work this week, opened the event and told of his mother not sharing what she went through during the Holocaust in the Netherlands, and when she was six she was on the extermination list and survived. He added that: “It is our duty as human beings to speak and mention the Holocaust”

Singer Louis Ali performing a zoom in the frame
As part of the event, they met Avital Horn, second generation of her Holocaust survivor father, when she shared the family story in Arabic. At the end, she greeted and invited everyone to come and visit Israel and said: “God created us all equal, and we should live together in love and harmony.” Afterwards, they held a joint discourse in Arabic on the subject of Holocaust remembrance and its treatment in the Arab world. In between, there were pieces of poetry in Arabic by singer and actor Tzachi Halevi, and by singer Louis Ali. This is a joint initiative of memorial associations in the living room, together guarantors each other and ISRAEL-is.

“Memory in the Living Room” is a social initiative founded about a decade ago by Adi Altshuler, and is intended to mark the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day significantly, in the living room of the home, between family and friends, in a meeting consisting of testimonies, an artistic-collaborative part and a discussion. Since then, the project has expanded and is held every year in thousands of salons in Israel and around the world, and now, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, for the first time, it will also take part in Arab countries.

Adi Altshuler, founder of “Living Room Memory”: “Despite the corona crisis, we continue a tradition that has become international – commemorating Holocaust victims through living room memory with digital living room kits. “Dubai and Bahrain. We are waiting for more Arab countries to take part in the coming years.”

Yosef Haddad, CEO of “Together Arabs for Each Other”: “After working to make the issue of Holocaust remembrance accessible to Arab society in Israel, we are very excited to work for this throughout the Arab world, against the background of the historic peace with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. We all around the world, from all religions and backgrounds, need to learn about the Holocaust, remember and connect to human messages and swear never again. “

Eyal Biram, CEO of ISRAEL-is: “Once the Avraham agreements were announced, we worked to create a civic infrastructure that implements these peace agreements on the ground, with the understanding that peace is made not only between countries but mainly between people with an emphasis on young people. We are proud to lead the first contacts established with young people from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco and are excited for the first Holocaust Remembrance Event to be held in front of the Gulf states, in which Israelis, Jews and Arabs will take part together. “

.Source