Each year, some people from the Los Angeles Jewish and Israeli community and others, who view a certain terror attack in the right perspective, begin their 4th of July celebration with a somber reminder of the loss of Vicki Hen, at exactly 11:20 a.m. on July 4, 2002.
Victoria (Vicky) Hen was fatally shot by Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, a deranged Egyptian-born Moslem terrorist who targeted the El Al – the national airline of the Jewish state Israel – counter, at Bradley International Terminal of LAX where Vicky was employed. Vicki was only 25 years of age when she was gunned down in the first Islamic act of terror on the West Coast of the USA. In this terror attack Yaacov Amidinov also lost his life.
Vicki was a victim of Islamo-terror. And why was she such a victim? Because she was Jewish.
In the Jewish culture, there is a saying, he who saves one soul saves an entire world.
I will turn this saying and say, when one is killed among us, Jews, it is as if an entire nation was killed.
For some reason, the murder of Vicki has been pushed aside and almost forgotten. If not for Avi and Rachel Hen, Vicki’s parents, endless efforts to keep their daughter’s murder in the memory of authorities and the public at large, with the help of their family and close friends, who, every year, remind and invite the public to attend the tribute at LAX, I doubt if people will remember.
If not for the terrific staff at the consul general of Israel, who send a media reminder to the local TV channels there would not be the proper reminder coverage. Instead of having multitude of people in attendance to make a national statement, we fail on our cause.
Our forgetfulness is inexcusable
This is the eleventh year we do not have Vicky amongst us. Her memory must live on in our hearts forever. Vicki lost her life in order for the nation of Israel to never forget who we are. We must make an annual statement that Vicki did not lose her life in vain.
Next year, please God, it is imperative that several hundred people gather around Vicki’s memorial stone at LAX and make a statement on behalf of Vicki, that we are a strong nation, not a victim nation, and when we say Never Again, we mean it.
May Vicky’s soul be bound in the bond of life.
See Also, Nurit’s story from last year: Is There a Unique and Parallel Code of Existence Between US and Israel?
