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June 14, 2002
One of tragedy's faces
Local Jews adopt Israeli victim of terror attacks.
PAT JOHNSON REPORTER
Until three months ago, Kinneret Boosani worked at a Tel-Aviv hangout
called My Coffee Shop. The beautiful and vibrant 23-year-old Israeli
was a classical ballet and jazz dancer who had entertained crowds
at an Eilat hotel and even did a turn as a model in Japan. Occasionally,
she appeared on the Israeli television program Taverna, with
a dance troupe to which she belongs.
Everything changed for Boosani when a homicide bomber entered her
café in March. Along with the usual lethal mix of nails and
metallic shards, this bomber had added chemicals designed to burn
the bodies of his victims.
Today, Boosani is in a hospital bed in Tel-Aviv. Almost all of her
body is burned. The only parts doctors have left exposed are her
feet, which were not injured, and her face, which was severely burned.
One lung is almost completely destroyed and the other is working
at about 50 per cent capacity. Her mother, Yaffa, has not left her
side. Her father, Moshe, massages his daughter's feet – the
only part of her body that is not in constant pain. Her older sisters,
Nitzan and Anat, sit by her side, willing her to get better.
Doctors say they cannot guarantee that Boosani will survive but,
if all goes well, she could return to a functioning existence after
about three years of intensive therapy, treatment and surgery.
For Canadians, Boosani would have remained merely a statistic –
one of about 4,000 Israelis seriously injured during the current
intifada. But her name will become increasingly familiar to Vancouver
Jews because some in this community have "adopted" her.
The process began with Claudio Grubner, a Vancouver man who was
recently in Israel on business. He mentioned to an Israeli that
he would like to make a hospital visit to someone who had been victimized
in a terrorist attack in order to show support and offer condolences.
When he heard of Boosani's extensive injuries, he acknowledged that
he had some trepidation before entering her room. But he was greeted
warmly by Boosani's family, who were with her, and he spoke with
Boosani, whose voice is limited to a faint whisper.
After the visit, Grubner returned home and set about mobilizing
Vancouver's Jewish community to send support to Boosani. He returned
to Israel June 13 laden with condolence cards, good wishes from
Vancouver – and about $15,000 that has been raised by parents
and students at Vancouver Talmud Torah elementary and high schools.
The Grade 4 class at Talmud Torah prepared a special T-shirt with
their school name and hopeful messages that Grubner took with him.
They also arranged fund-raisers that brought in about $650. The
Grade 8 class sold popsicles for the cause and raised $400. Parents
dropped money off at the school office when they heard about the
effort.
"I'm doing this because I feel a connection to the people of
Israel," said Grubner. "This is not about a nation. This
is about individuals who are suffering in Israel."
Though the "adoption" program was originally intended
to show a small glimmer of hope and support for a single victim
of Palestinian terror, Grubner said the result at home in Vancouver
has been as monumental as any impact that he expects his efforts
will have on Boosani's life.
He sat with a group of students recently, talking about what it
is like for Israeli youngsters today.
"I was choked," said Grubner. "I was sitting in this
Grade 4 classroom, listening to nine- and 10-year-old kids using
such sensitivity and insight."
For these children, he said, Boosani has given a face to the enormous
tragedy occurring in the Middle East right now.
"The connection these kids have with a stranger is incredible,"
he said. "I think we need to give our kids a hell of a lot
of credit."
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