Violette Mashat

My name is Shoshi Ben Ezra Mashat. My mother, Masht Violette, was admitted to the Hadassah Hospital in Hakirya, Tel Aviv, on March 3, 1953, where she gave birth to a son. His name in Israel—Shalom, medical case number 2113. The Hadassah hospital confirms these records. Baby Shalom’s ID number is 051712400.

Around the same time my grandmother, Violette’s mother, passed away, and so my mother had to go sit shiva. My father, Mashat Tziyon, came to see the baby and to our great grief he was told that his son had died. The baby was born healthy, and my mother and father were in total shock, how could it be possible. The baby was buried without ever being circumcised.

At the age of six, the municipality of Netanya complained to us that the child was not registered with the school system, and at age 18 the military unit responsible for deserters came to arrest him for evading conscription. We were just shocked. Did the authorities not realize that the child had died?

My husband, Uzi Ben Ezra, went to the Kiray Shaul Cemetery to inquire as to where the child was buried. He was shown a mass grave site but they refused to open it. After three months my husband received notice that the grave was opened, and that it contained damaged Torah books and clothes but no children’s bones and no sign of bodies.

Following that, my husband went to Chevra Kadisha and received from them a hand-written certificate with the number 7020, stating “we hereby confirm that the belated Mashat Shalom, 90 Shikun Amidar, Netanya, passed away on 24th of Adar 5713, official burial permit number 22521, issued March 12th, 1953. Additional notes: Passed away. Age: eight days. Place of death: Hadassah.” The copy of that certificate is added here.

I live in 21 Dizengoff Street, Netanya. My name is Shoshana Ben Ezra Mashat. My phone number is 0522281260. Sadly, my parents passed away in their grief.

Thank you in advance,

Shoshi Ben Ezra Mashat

The committee talked about dozens… Even one? We can’t be silent!

Aliza Mor