Monument honors RP-Israel ties

MANILA, Philippines – Top Israeli and Philippine officials have unveiled the “Open Doors” monument, the most significant marker demonstrating the long-standing friendship between the Philippines and Israel, at the Holocaust Memorial Park of the Municipality of Rishon LeZion.

The first Philippine monument in Israel, an initiative of the late journalist and Philippine Ambassador to Israel Antonio Modena, commemorates the courage, hospitality and determination of the Philippine Government that allowed thousands of Jews who escaped the Nazi horror to seek refuge in the Philippines.

The Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv said in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano, member of the Knesset and Minister of Improvement of Government Services Michael Eitan, and Rishon Lezion Mayor Dov Zur unveiled the monument that was erected to commemorate the generosity of the Filipino people in 1939 when Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon established an open door policy for Jews escaping the Holocaust in Europe.

During this time, an estimated 10,000 visas were earmarked and extended to escaping Jews. Farm and settlement lands were also allocated for them. However, the onset of World War II only allowed 1,200 Jews to reach the Philippines.

Little was known about these accounts in the Philippines’ history until the book entitled “Escape to Manila” by the late Frank Ephraim was published. It tells the complete story of the Jews’ plight, the hardship and ordeal they encountered during their journey, and the hope they nurtured upon setting foot in the Philippines where they were wholeheartedly accepted.

Ephraim, one of the 1,200 Jews saved from the Holocaust, wrote that “…the Philippines held out a promise of a safe haven from Nazi oppression, offering survival from the mass murder of the Jewish people in Europe…”

Durano said the monument represents the friendship between both countries and symbolized Jewish perseverance and Filipino dedication in times of crisis. He dedicated the monument to every Israeli and Filipino, saying that, “It’s a good day to be a Filipino.”

Minister Michael Eitan said each of the monument’s three doors symbolizes the Philippines’ act of generosity and friendship to Israel. The first door represented the Open Door Policy of the Commonwealth Government; the second door represented the act of the Philippines in the United Nations in 1947 when it voted in favor of the creation of the State of Israel; and the third door represents the work of more than 30,000 Filipino caregivers who take care of Israel’s elderly and disabled.

Max Weissler, one of the Jewish refugees, shared his story of life as a boy growing up in the Philippines, emphasizing his gratitude for the hospitality of the Filipino people.

He thanked everyone instrumental in the creation of the monument, particularly the Embassy and the Filipino community who contributed and raised funds for the endeavor.

Present during the ceremony were some of the survivors who escaped to the Philippines and their families, namely Ruth Ephraim, wife of Frank Ephraim; Weissler’s family; Ralph Preiss and family; and Reuvan Loewenstein, son of George Lowenstein.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia, officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv, and members of Israeli and Jewish communities also attended the event.

A children’s choir composed of Filipino and Filipino-Israeli children rendered Bou Naamin, an Israeli song about tolerance and understanding by Dr. Varda Granot and lyricist Hamutal Ben-Zeev, with Filipino translation by Mike Hanopol.

Conceptualized in 2005, the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv, the Filipino community, Holocaust survivors and their families in Israel and from all over the world undertook initiatives to raise funds for the monument.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts sponsored a competition for the design of the monument. Artist JunYee won the competition and supervised the fabrication of its components for shipment to Israel. The monument base is tiled with Romblon marble donated by the Romblon Chamber of Commerce, Forward Romblon and Romblon Bar Association.

The three doors of increasing heights open inward to form a triangle, a common feature in both the Philippine and Israeli flags. In front of each door are etched footprints of three persons: George Lowenstein, who was among the thousands of Jews who sought refuge in the Philippines in 1939; Max Weissler, who arrived in Manila in 1941 at the age of 11 as a refugee from Germany, grew up in the Philippines, and is presently residing in Hod Hasharon, Israel; and Doryliz Goffer, a Filipino-Israeli born in the Philippines, grand daughter of Holocaust survivors, representing the continuing friendship between the Philippines and Israel.