Shoshanna and Salah Awad (Shams) Ashwal emigrated from Yemen to Rosh Ha’ayeen, Israel in 1949. A few months later welfare officials came to visit in the camp in Rosh HaAyin. They took the child Yisrael from her to the nursery and she came to play with him every day. On the third day she came and saw Yisrael in a Red Magen David ambulance. “Where are you taking my son,” she asked. The nurses replied that he’s not feeling well and they are taking him to hospital, and that she should enter the office, where they would tell in her which hospital he’ll be. When she went in, the ambulance immediately left and she wasn’t told where the child was. Mother went to all the hospitals she knew and couldn’t find him. She ran around like crazy across the country to find out what happened to her son Yisrael.

Obviously like in most cases, a draft order came at the age of 17, and of course no trace of the boy. She talked about him her whole life and passed away in 2014.

In her last months she wanted to record, as I advised her, everything she went through, in order to try and shed some light on the case. It pained me to hear her tell she knew with a strong feeling that the child won’t come back the moment she handed him over (one moment of weakness scarred her for life). I regret I didn’t have a chance to document it on video, but at least I am fulfilling her request to raise the issue.

May you rest in peace dear grandmother.