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Free
translation By Aaron Shohet
My friend Mayor Chaim Barbibie, my friend Shula Ben Shitrit Headmistress of the Metzudot School, respected guests When I asked Chaim during the second war in Lebanon: "What more can we do for the citizens of Qiryat Shmona?" He answered: "Hold that thought and save it for later, we will also need you after the war is over", with that sentence he emotively connected us to Qiryat Shmona for many years to come Shula Ben Shitrit took the mission upon herself and made sure that we wouldn't overlook any of the city's primary schools, she arranged for us to meet all the schools' headmasters and we tried to make each one's dream come true Rabbi Hananyah's dream of an "Ecological Garden" at the Uziel School we left to the finale My partner in these endeavors, Yariv Ben Yehuda, was excited by this project and harnessed himself to it, he drafted the architect Itzik Abulafya who donated his part in this project, Itzik in turn coupled us with Emad the constructor who also donated his part in the project. My good friend Henry Shohet took upon himself the financing of the project Last Monday when all the school students excitedly took part in the reception at the delivery of the animals, I felt my spirits rise and knew that we had succeeded The garden commemorates two "Doudou's"; David "Doudou" Mizrahi from France, a proud Jew who fought the Nazi's as a paratrooper in De Gaulle's brigade and was wounded during the landing in France (Normandy) and received the highest award presented by the French Armed Forces for bravery; David "Doudou" Amar, one of Qiryat Shmona's finest sons, who fell in action during the second war in Lebanon as a soldier in the Engineering Corps The amazingly beautiful memorial to both of them was donated by the artist and sculptor Orna Ben Ami We all cried heart-warming tears together when Ofra, Doudou's mother, called to thank us for the memorial. We will no forget you Doudou. I wish to give thanks to Shula the dynamo of our endeavors in this city, to Itzik Abulafya, to Emad, to Orna Ben Ami and to Oded Ben Ami for emceeing the event; to you Brigitte and Henry Shohet, to Idit and Yariv Ben Yehudah for your partnership and to my wife Dorit Cabili for her affection Also thanks to Elana
and the faculty and of course the charming kids
for organizing and performing this beautiful
ceremony
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