Dear Friends,

We are happy to be here with you today to celebrate the opening of this Garden of the Righteous Worldwide at the Italian Embassy in Tunisia. We are sorry we cannot be with you on this occasion. Yet we feel that we are joining hands with you, linking together Israel, Palestine, Tunisia and Italy, in a chain that will grow around the world, honoring all those who, during dark periods of humanitarian disasters, ethnic cleansing and genocide, did not succumb to the popular current but rather chose to see reality through their own eyes and bravely acted to save lives.

In 2014, Gabriele Nissim came to our community, Wahat al-Salam~Neve Shalom, to help us during a special event at our Museum/Gallery & Archive. On that occasion, he joined us in honoring the righteous from around the world. Wahat al Salam ~ Neve Shalom began over 30 years ago when a group of Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel came together on the same piece of land to create an alternative future, based on the equal sharing of power, responsibility, and resources. The community continues to grow and has developed pioneering educational institutions, such as its binational primary school, its School for Peace, and its Pluralistic Spiritual Community Center, all of which promote the values and dreams on which the village was founded.

Mr. Nissim contributed to our dream by initiating with us a Forest of the Righteous. We will use this place to help the world remember those brave individuals or groups who risked their lives for others. Just as you do, we will re-tell their stories in order to educate, spread awareness, and shape our future.

We send our blessings and good wishes for this momentous occasion. We are with you completely. Together, we look forward to a time when others around the world will join us all in remembering the righteous, carrying on their legacy, and fulfilling their dream for a better world.

Dyana Rizek and Prof. Yair Aron
Museum and Forest of the Righteous
Wahat al Salam~Neve Shalom