"When I prepare cheesecakes for the soldiers, I feel like I am preparing them for Matanya"
At a club for the elderly and Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem, Aviva prepares cheesecakes for soldiers ahead of Shavuot, in memory of her grandson Matanya Alster, who was killed in the war: "These soldiers are…
Assessment
An elderly woman in Jerusalem bakes cheesecakes for soldiers ahead of Shavuot, honoring her grandson killed in the war. Her act bridges personal grief with communal care, linking Holocaust survivors and current soldiers. The story underscores how wartime loss transforms ritual into a living memorial, with the elderly seeing soldiers as surrogate grandchildren.