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September 11, 2003 was the time and the Or-Akiva Alex Meyer Cultural Arts Center was the venue, of the opening of the second annual children's art exhibit sponsored by the Lapid Center Foundation. The name of the exhibit - "Childhood Without Terror".
Three years ago the civilized world watched in horror as two Israeli reserve soldiers, who had mistakenly ended up in Ramallah, were brutally murdered by an Arab mob. One of the soldiers, Vadim Nourzietz was a resident of Or Akiva. During the shiva, itself, an idea was developed by family and friends to set up an foundation that would work to educate the world as to dangers of terror, and perpetuate the memory of terror victims throughout the world.
The first exhibition, "Children Against Terror" has been shown in or Akiva, Jerusalem, Berlin, and Prague. The current exhibit will be on display in the lobby of the Cultural Arts Center in Or Akiva, before traveling to Miami, New York, and Europe. In Miami the exhibit will be part of the opening of the new Children's Museum located on the campus of the Alper Jewish Community Center. It will be displayed in the Futernick gallery. Mikki and Morris Futernick, long affiliated with the Alper JCC, are currently the chairs of the Miami - Or-Akiva Partnership 2000 committee.
When opening the exhibit, the Mayor of Or-Akiva, Simcha Yosipov , told high school students invited to the opening, that the exhibit was another indication of the many ties that bind together the two communities. It was when visiting Or Akiva on September 11, 2001, that the leadership of the Miami Jewish community learned of the terror attack on the World Trade Center. Over one hundred members of the Miami community had traveled to Or Akiva to celebrate the town's achieving the status of a city, and to support the State of Israel which was reeling under an onslaught of terror. The support of the people of Or Akiva during that terrible afternoon and evening has further strengthened the bond between the two communities.
"This is an exhibit speaks of hope - hope that children in Miami, Or-Akiva, and all over the world will live lives that are not tainted by terror" said Mayor Yosipov.
Elul 5763 - September 2003
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