At a moving ceremony at Nitzana on February 14th a memorial to Genady Isakov, a former student, (ZL) was unveiled at Nitzana. Genady was killed last June by a suicide bomber in Wadi Ara near Hadera. He graduated four years ago from Nitzana's SELAH program for new immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who reach Israel without their parents. All his friends from that year's SELAH program returned to Nitzana to pay their respects to a young man, who was recalled as "a friend to everybody, warmhearted, hard working and having a great sense of humor."

Also present at the ceremony were Genady's parents who made aliyah several years ago and live in Hadera. His mother said that in the family home, hanging on the wall, they have a framed certificate that Genady received from Nitzana for his scholastic excellence. Genady had sent the certificate to them before they immigrated to Israel. After leaving Nitzana, Genady enlisted in the IDF.

Nitzana does not see its connection with former students as ending when they leave after a year and the Isakov family, and all Genady's fellow students were told that they would always be welcome guests at Nitzana. Indeed the staff stressed that in their eyes all former students and their families were considered to be part of one big family.

Adar Aleph 5763 - March 2003