Gush Etzion Visitors Center is Being Renovated
Entrance Hall Dedicated in Memory of Uriel Liwerant z"l
Born and raised in Efrat, neighboring Gush Etzion, a community south of Jerusalem, Uriel Liwerant was drafted into the tank corps as a tank commander after completing two years of Hesder yeshiva study. Upon becoming an officer, Uriel was assigned to the 53rd regiment, company 2. In the early morning hours of August 5, 2009, Uriel's tank had to cross over a deep ditch on a mobile bridge, but Uriel, feeling that the tank was not crossing correctly, commanded his crew to brace themselves. He was able to save his soldiers, but not himself; Uriel was thrown from the tank and killed instantly at the age of 21.
To pay tribute to Uriel's love for the land of Israel and for Gush Etzion in particular, his family has joined with Jewish National Fund (JNF) to support the renovation of the Gush Etzion Heritage and Visitor Center.
Located at Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, the center is a memorial to the heroic defenders and settlers of Gush Etzion during the War of Independence. Welcoming over 100,000 visitors each year, it features a moving audiovisual presentation that preserves the history and memory of the settlements of the Etzion Bloc and the heroic defenders who fought and died there. Built over two decades ago, the museum, which sits on top of the ruins of the bunker of the last defenders, is in need of modernization. JNF is raising funds for a new building that will present and exhibit the history of this important era.
The lobby of the new building will be dedicated in memory of Uriel. It will serve as the main entrance hall for the whole center, with comfortable armchairs and a huge glass panel that will provide a view of the original center. It will feature a memorial corner for Uriel; a donor recognition wall; and an opening film that will tell the history of Gush Etzion through the ages.
