Sta.sh
Jessica Zafra writes about a documentary they're doing here, about how the Philippines was one of the few nations to welcome Jewish refugees. Although only 1200-odd refugees made it to the Philippines instead of the planned 10 thousand to be resettled, the Manilaners remember their time here. The filming for the documentary began at the Open Doors monument in Rishon Lezion, Israel.
The Open Doors Monument in Israel is a great source of personal pride for myself, as the initiative for the monument was done by my father, Ambassador Tony Modena. Sadly, he passed away early 2007, shortly after my son was born, and before he saw the completion of his beloved project. While initially proposing a marker on the Boulevard of The Righteous Among the Nations, the project was elevated to a full monument of it's own, to the surprise of my father. Intent on increasing greater ties between the Philippines and Israel, he pushed for the monument to be put on a base of marble mined (and a famous export of) his hometown/home island, Romblon. Each of the triangles has significant meaning, especially in the perspective of the Israeli-Philippine relations.
I am both proud that my father was able to leave such a mark upon the world... and saddened when I think of how much more he could have accomplished, had he not passed away so suddenly. Still, every time that my family and I read about the Manilaners, and the Open Doors monument, we smile, and say "Hay, Daddy... look what you have done."
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Ignacio Bunye's 3-part column about Filipinos in Israel can be read on his website, [link]
The columns in question are here, here and here.
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Crossposted to:
Affsdiary - Shadowdancer's Articles and at the forum
Walking the Path of Madness
Observations from the Shadows
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