Benjamin Horgen, bereaved husband of Esther, who was murdered not far away from their home two and a half years ago, gives his message for Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day). “We are feeling on Memorial Day the embrace from the entire community and the entire people of Israel,” Horgen tells Israel National News . “But for us it’s not such an easy day to pass because it brings up obviously very difficult and hard memories. But we think it’s very important because it’s the opportunity for the whole of the people of Israel to feel this feeling a little bit, of unity and of embracing all the bereaved families of the soldiers and of the victims of terror.” He says of the change when the sun sets to Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) that it is a difficult transition for him to deal with. “Everyone has difficulty with this passage but on the other hand it gives some significance to Independence Day because you see that it didn't come easily and we understand that very strongly with these two days next one to another,” he says. “For me personally Independence Day is a bit more difficult now or at least it's more sad because the absence of Esther is felt much strongly on this day as on any joyous occasions that we have either of the holidays or festivities or just happy events in the family. On this day especially Esther is missing. The fact that she is not there anymore leaves a big hole in all our festivities.” Since her murder, Horgen has been commemorating Esther in several different fields. “On this issue it was important for us to perpetuate the memory of Estelle in all the fields in which she was active,” he says, explaining that she was a psychologist, an artist, and dealt with sports and health. To that end, they established with others a therapy school in Jerusalem in her name. They are also building a new neighborhood of Neve Esther that is under construction in her memory. And they are also outside running in the fields. “Running is what she did until her last breath literally,” he says. “She was murdered during a daily run in the forest near our home. So this is why first we are turning this forest into a park with the support of many organizations and we have a yearly cross-country run in this area in the same place where the murder happened.” Related articles: Bereaved families demand a public inquiry committee Fallen soldier's family voices concern over renewed Gaza fighting The people do not deserve for you to hold them hostage Newborn nephew named after IDF soldier who fell in Gaza The event took place a bit more than a week ago and was very successful, with nearly 500 participants coming to the run to show their support. All the activity strengthens the family, he explains. “For me personally it gives me something to do and I found that activity is my therapy. If I'm not doing something then I'm afraid I will fall into depression or something like that, and actually Esther told this to us, told this to me in her writings," he says. "One of the things we have done also is to publish her writings and in one of the articles she wrote she said that the right reaction to terror is to invest the same energy that the terrorists have – they are ready to give their life for their ideas – so we should put the same energy but instead of going into murder and destruction and fear, to do this in the opposite direction, to do this in construction, in love, in building, in everything which is positive. So I’m trying to follow her instructions.”
