Bus 19 Project

Erik Schechter Visits Bus 19 – Eight Years Later

Adam — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 03:31:05 +0000

Erik Schechter traveled down from New York to take a trip with me out to the Bus 19 site. His story as a survivor of the January 29, 2004 bombing is quite moving, yet told from a very matter-of-fact point of view. His audience was a group of law enforcement officers who were spending the day learning about the mind-set and tactics of suicide bombers. His talk was very appropriate. Erik didn’t identify himself a s a “victim” of this tragedy; he simply was in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a heads-up comment, parts of his description of that day might be a bit graphic for younger kids.

Ray VanMeter shares a thought about car bombs

Adam — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:50:01 +0000

Ray VanMeter, an expert instructor on suicide counter-terrorism, recently came to visit the Bus 19 site. He asked the question, “What do you think when you see an abandoned car by the side of the road?” Let’s hope that his comments do not come to fruition.

Article in the Baltimore Jewish Times

Adam — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 02:17:34 +0000

A few weeks ago, a local freelance journalist, Maayan Jaffe, contacted me while researching an article for the Baltimore Jewish Times that she was writing about discussing the ways we should teach kids about terror. Maayan wrote a great piece that I’ve attached in this post. It’s a great question; how should we teach our kids about terror and terrorism? Is one man’s terrorist really another man’s freedom fighter? Should we be tolerant of acts of evil or should we destroy it? Something to think about. Or is it? Click here for the complete article.

Bus 19 Bombing – 7th anniversary of the Tragedy

Adam — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Tomorrow, January 29th 2011, marks the 7th anniversary of the Bus 19 bombing. We shall always remember the individuals who perished on that tragic day and pray that the survivors can carry on with their lives.

Avraham (Albert) Balhasan, 28, of Jerusalem
Rose Boneh, 39, of Jerusalem
Hava Hannah (Anya) Bonder, 38, of Jerusalem
Anat Darom, 23, of Netanya
Viorel Octavian Florescu, 42, of Jerusalem
Natalia Gamril, 53, of Jerusalem
Yechezkel Isser Goldberg, 41, of Betar Illit
Baruch (Roman) Hondiashvili, 38, of Jerusalem
Dana Itach, 24, of Jerusalem
Mehbere Kifile, 35, of Ethiopia
Eli Zfira, 48, of Jerusalem

Met with Y&L Landscaping to Discuss the Bus 19 Memorial Garden

Adam — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:33:47 +0000

Yossi and Rozzie survey the site where the Bus 19 Memorial Garden will be built

I had the pleasure of meeting with Yossi Kushner of Y&L Landscaping, Inc. yesterday (November 15th) to discuss the specifics of the Bus 19 Memorial Garden. The landscape designer, Rozzie Walman will be having a detailed phone call with Brenda Margolis, the Bus 19 Project architectural designer in the near future. We need to determine which flora is best suited for the memorial garden. Although the theme of the Bus 19 Project is that of a bus stop, we need to consider the seasonal changes that will occur at the site throughout the year. I’m sure the proposal will be seriously thought out. When we have more definite drawings of the memorial garden, I’ll be posting them to the blog and web site.

Panoramic View of Bus 19

Adam — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:30:17 +0000

Michael Raphael from Direct Dimensions just sent me the link for viewing the panoramic images of Bus 19. It allows you to step inside the Bus by the driver’s seat and experience being on the Bus as well as other impressive views. Take a few minutes and checkout these views. This is also the area where we will be building the Bus 19 Memorial Garden and Education Pavilion around the Bus.

Click on the following link:

http://ilnk.me/bus19pano

Bus 19 Project Gets Scanned and Panned

Adam — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:52:18 +0000

Direct Dimensions CEO, Michael Raphael and his technician setup the laser camera prior to scanning Bus 19.

I spent Friday afternoon, October 22nd, at the site of the Bus 19 Project with Michael Raphael and his technician from Direct Dimensions. They are an Owings Mills, Maryland company that has a unique software and camera system that allows them to take digital photos and laser scans of objects (and people) and render them as 3-D images on the Internet and other multimedia applications and platforms. I have spearheaded the Bus 19 Project for over two years now and I’m constantly looking for new ways to bring awareness to this tragic event. Direct Dimensions helps me accomplish that task perfectly. Images will be posted on the Bus 19 Project web site over the next few weeks.

Received Donation for Bus 19 Scholarship Fund

Adam — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:40:50 +0000

Fund raising for the Bus 19 Memorial Garden and Education Pavilion is continuing as planned. What’s really special, is that we recently received funds from the nephew of one of the victims for the Bus 19 Scholarship fund. The nephew raised the money through a marathon running event in honor of his grandmother’s 80th birthday. This is a classic example of how grass-root efforts can make the Bus 19 Project a reality. For funding inquiries, please contact the Bus 19 Project at info@bus19project.com.

Int’l Institute for Counter-Terrorism 10th Int’l Conference

Adam — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:24:57 +0000

I will often write blog postings that reflect our current global counter-terrorism efforts. These efforts are needed so that another Bus 19 tragedy does not occur. Today, September 12th through Wednesday, September 15th there is an important conference being held at IDC Herzliya in Israel. The World Summit on Counter-Terrorism is holding it’s 10th International Conference. A fantastic group of speakers and moderators will be discussing all facets of counter-terrorism and terrorism in general. Click here to go to the Live Streaming web site.

Bus 19 Artifact – Bezeq Calling Card

Adam — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:41:31 +0000

At another recent event at the Bus 19 site, I found a Bezeq, prepaid calling card lodged in a metal strip above the driver’s seat. Just another example of an everyday tool caught up in the tragedy.

Bezeq prepaid calling card found above the driver's seat.