The Hecht Family

August 22, 2010 / 12 Elul 5770 

The late Samuel Hecht, together with his wife Ruth, was very active in the Australia Appeal for
many years.

On Wednesday, August 18, 2010, the Hecht family from Melbourne, Australia made an emotional visit to the Jewish Agency Hadassah Neurim Youth Village in Israel.

Ruth Hecht standing alongside the sign and the eucalyptus tree.

Ruth, Samuel’s wife, decided to make a meaningful donation in memory of her late husband, who died suddenly several years ago.  Deeply pained by her husband’s death and seeking to memorialize his devoted work, Ruth chose the Hadassah Neurim Youth Village as the site for the memorial.

Last year, Ruth made a donation through the Keren Hayesod Fund for the construction of a pergola outside the classroom complex in the village’s school, where students can rest and relax during recesses and after classes.  The shady structure serves as a comfortable lounge, with decorative plants and benches.

During the ceremony held last year, the seed of a eucalyptus tree brought by the family all the way from Australia was planted in the ground.

This year, on August 18, three generations of the Hecht family came to visit the village: Samuel’s parents; his wife, Ruth; his daughter; his sister; and his niece.

They met with Hadassah Neurim’s new students, viewed a film about the village, toured the dormitories, and then arrived at the pergola.  The trip was accompanied by mixed emotions - grief and sadness over the loss of their beloved Samuel, mixed with the gratification of seeing Samuel memorialized in such a beautiful and fitting manner at Hadassah Neurim.

Samuel’s father, a Holocaust survivor, speaking with students at
Hadassah Neurim and wishing them success in their studies.

The family expressed their profound sense of gratitude to the village’s leadership for the upkeep of the site, and promised to maintain their special relationship with Hadassah Neurim in the years to come.