A monthslong search by bereaved parents of soldiers killed in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 to find a place to erect a memorial to their children has ended with a decision to refurbish an abandoned, crumbling outdoor theater at Kibbutz Gvaram in southern Israel as a memorial site. Gvaram, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Ashkelon, was one of the many communities in the south of Israel that suffered years of ongoing Hamas rocket fire. The memorial project is being spearheaded by a committee of bereaved parents of soldiers killed in the Gaza campaign; the Jewish National Fund; the Yad Labanim fallen soldiers' memorial organization; and the Hof Ashkelon Regional council. Discussions of plans for the site led to a decision to use the reopened theater mainly for joyful activities, such as performances, and as a gathering point for hikes and family picnics. On Friday, dozens of families arrived at the theater to inspect the site and listen to ideas from the people behind the project. Eli Ben-Shem, chairman of Yad Labanim, said that there had been considerable indecision about the character of the memorial before a decision was taken to rebuild it as a "happy, inviting place, where there is no sadness, but rather a place where families can gather and their choice of leisure activities will commemorate the soldiers. Mainly, it will be accessible to the many soldiers left disabled as a result of the operation." Hof Ashkelon Regional Council head Yair Farjun said, "This unique memorial site will be based on a dynamic model. The refurbishment of the theater will relaunch cultural activities for a variety of population sectors. I think we've found a place that has commemorative aspects that include ongoing vitality." Ifat Ben Shoshan, tourism coordinator for the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, explained that "the idea of establishing a memorial at this area stems from the bereaved parents' desire to make the memorial site a vibrant, dynamic place that will host activities year-round." Ben Shoshan said that a competition to pick the design for the site would soon be opened. The theater at Kibbutz Gvaram was originally opened in the 1950s and was active through the 1970s. Since then, it has been abandoned. Orit Hay, chairwoman of the parents committee, whose son, Staff Sgt. Omer Hay, was killed in the operation, took an active role in bringing various institutions on board for the memorial project. Hay said that the place had been selected mainly because of the surrounding greenery and the parents' desire to locate the memorial close to the Gaza Strip, where their sons had fought and died. "We want the families who come here to enjoy themselves as well as remember their dear sons who were killed," Hay said.
