At the entrance to Jerusalem there is a street called Rechov Ha-mem-gimmel, literally translated as 43^rd Street. But this name is not a mere number such as in Brooklyn's BoroPark, Manhattan's midtown, or any of the other big cities of the world that have abandoned names for numbers.

The number 43 given to this street is a memorial to the 43 Moroccan Jews who drowned while trying to reach Israel many years ago.

While the number recalls tragic death, the street itself expresses life. At the very beginning of the street is the Magen David Adom (Israel's counterpart to Red Cross) with its sophisticated emergency medical services, blood bank and fleet of ambulances. At the other end of the street (where the building is No. 43!) is the beginning of the religious community of Kiryat Mattersdorf which was established in 1965 with a substantial influx of American immigrants to Israel.

© 1995-2024 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.

Articles may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue or school newsletters. Hardcopy or electronic. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission in advance at [email protected] and credit for the source as Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu