Activities and events 2021
The Cairo Martyrs' Memorial Foundation Scholarship Award and Certificate of Appreciation's Ceremony
On Tuesday, 29 June 2021, the Cairo Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation held a Scholarship Award and Certificate of Appreciation’s Ceremony.
The ceremony took place in cooperation with the IICC – Israeli Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center.
Photographer and film editor, Ms. Idit Badihi, was awarded with a Certificate of Appreciation for her documentation of the Cairo martyrs, their biographies and heroism and for making their stories available to the public through the production of a series of videos. She was awarded with the certificate for her years-long, highly professional and perceptive work, which has always been guided by profound attentiveness.
Ms. Hallel Azoulay is the scholarship’s recipient. The scholarship was awarded for her outstanding final written assignment, under the title: “Is there a connection between the Tobianski Affair and the Lavon Affair, and if so – what is it about?”. The written assignment is equivalent to a 5-point final exam.
The committee, which has evaluated the written assignments, found Ms. Hallel Azoulay eligible and worthy of the scholarship, based on the merit of its’ content, the writing manner and the level of research, all of which had met the criteria that the foundation outlined and were in line with the foundation’s purpose to encourage and support research work about the Lavon Affair and the impact the Affair had over Egypt’s Jewry as well as over the state of Israel.
Remembering the martyrs - an annual memorial
Due to the corona outbreak’s restrictions, this year, the memorial event took place with only the families attending. Representatives of the foundation held several remote lectures within the framework of the IICC – Israeli Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center; and in cooperation with the “Reshit Jerusalem” and Meteg project for the elderly. Over 2,500 guests attended online.
From Black & White to Many Colors:
Robert Dassa’s art exhibition was launched in a moving opening event that took place on November 4, 2021, in the Haganah Museum in Tel Aviv.
The drawings’ exhibition of Cairo martyr, Robert Dassa, was initiated by the Ministry of Defense’s rehabilitation division, in cooperation with the Ministry’s Family Affairs Division, and the Heritage & Museums unit. Mr. Shlomo Dror is the exhibition’s curator. The exhibition features Robert Dassa original drawings, from his imprisonment years (1954-1968) in Egyptian prison, and which he managed to smuggle upon his release. The artworks describe some of Dassa’s experiences in prison. They are master craftsmanship, artistic miniatures that reflect so much more than their size suggest: they reflect Robert’s deep insightfulness, and observation. They also express his refined, gentle soul, and the mental power him and his peers were endowed with. Robert’s talent, as well as the talent of his mate’s, Mayer Zafran, were well known in prison, where the two of them became prison’s painters. Robert and Mayer used to decorate the prison’s walls with paintings (as they were required to do), and created artworks for the wardens. In the opening event, Robert shared with the guests how prison’s officers used to secretly bring him photos of their loved ones, and asked him to draw their portraits. Robert used to beautify the portraits, and made them more handsome than in reality. As a result, his status in prison was further established, and enabled him to obtain small benefits that made life a bit easier for himself, and for his mates. This was the case also with all his other peers. Each of them used their own skills and talents in order benefit all the mates.
In Tel-Aviv festive evening, Robert cut the ribbon, and told the guests more about the drawings, the people who appeared in them, and the story behind each sketch.
Senior defense officials, and officials of the Ministry of Defense who were liaison with the family were present. They joined family members of the other Cairo Martyrs were also in attendance. Special guests were former Israeli Air Force pilots, and Israeli Navy combat fighters, who were captured and in Egypt in the six-day-war in 1967. During their time in captivity, the Israeli war prisoners agreed to delay their own release in order to enable the Israeli government to include the four prisoners among the Cairo Martyrs, in the exchange deal.
More guests included the leadership of the Cairo Martyrs Memorial Foundation, close friends, family members, and the organizers of the event, which was held on behalf of the Ministry of Defense. It was a moving tribute event for Robert. The special evening attempted to offer a token of recognition and appreciation, after a 67-year-long injustice, that was caused by the state authorities.
The exhibition will travel between the museums of the Ministry of Defense, the military intelligence units and of the defense establishment. A similar ceremony was held in mid-March in the Mossad, where the exhibition is now on display.
