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A Living Memorial,
A Beautiful Life
Arnold Roth with his wife and a small circle of friends established Keren Malki in Jerusalem in 2001. He writes:
Malka Chana Roth was born in Melbourne, Australia on November 27, 1985. Caring, sweet-natured, talented, vivacious, musical and deeply devoted to doing everything in her power to help children with disabilities, Malki, as she was known to everyone, brought happiness into many lives.
Malki’s experiences with her own severely disabled youngest sister led her to become passionate about bringing happiness, support and encouragement to the lives of children facing similar challenges. Malki volunteered to work with children with special needs. At school and in the community, she inspired her peers to do the same.
But on 9th August 2001, Malki’s own life ended in a barbaric act of Palestinian Arab terrorism in the crowded Sbarro restaurant in the centre of Jerusalem. She was fifteen years old. Her death and her beautiful life are the inspiration behind the establishment of the foundation that bears her name.
Fifteen other innocent people, many of them children and teenagers, enjoying a meal on a summers’ day in the center of the country’s capital city, were murdered in the same barbaric attack. One of those was Malki’s lifelong girlfriend Michal Raziel, aged 16.
Malki and Michal were buried in adjoining, simple graves in Jerusalem’s Har Menuchot cemetery. To the large, grieving crowd at the funeral on a hot Friday afternoon, I eulogised Malki, describing her life as an act of beauty in all but its very final moments.
Malki had completed tenth grade at Horev Girls School in Jerusalem. She was a much-loved madricha (group leader) of nine-year-old girls in the Ma’ale Adumim branch of the Ezra youth movement, and a gifted classical flautist. She composed her own music.
May the sweet and precious memory of Malka Chana Roth serve as a blessing.
Malka Chana Roth with her sister, Haya Elisheva
Michal Raziel z”l and Malki, the closest of friends. Inseparable in life. Buried side by side.
