"Oh, my beautiful bride
I give you my oath,
In name of love itself,
Oh, my beautiful bride
I will ask for your hand in marriage
In the next world, as well "
I give you my oath,
In name of love itself,
Oh, my beautiful bride
I will ask for your hand in marriage
In the next world, as well "
The Versailles wedding hall (Hebrew: אולמי ורסאי*), was a wedding hall located in the Talpiot neighborhood in Jerusalem.
It was known for a horrible tragedy which took place there on May 2001, known in Israel as "The Versailles tragedy" or "The Versailles disaster".
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vojcNN2oJE]Versailles disaster- 12 years - YouTube[/ame]
In the Versailles disaster more than 700 people were present
23 people were killed
386 were injured
When at close to midnight, May 24th, the third floor of the Versailles wedding hall collapsed, and the celebrating people fell 4 floors down.
"The Versailles" was known for more than a decade to be Israel's worst civil disaster, that until December 2010, when the "Honor" of Israel's worst civil disaster was then given to "The Carmel disaster".
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Hannit Tubul, 15 years old, from Jerusalem
Was born in Jerusalem, lost both parents in a very young age, was left with her uncles and two young siblings. She worked as a waitress at Versailles, to help the family . Her body was found about 10 hours after the tragedy.
"She was a flower, a light to the entire family" her aunt grieved, "When she left us, our light faded out. Our poor Hannit, simply went to work, and was swallowed by oblivion"
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Tif'eret Heimenratt, 20 years old, from Neve Dkallim (Now part of the Gaza strip)
Was the youngest of six children. Born in central Israel, she loved nature and was an activist for animals rights, and worked for "The company of nature's protection" in Israel.
She used to accompany school trips and tell children of nature and history.
Was also a private teacher.
"With the brightest blue eyes, she was always prepared to help any needed soul" said her boyfriend, "She left such a huge hole in me when she left. She was a true heroin, but defeated by a pile of rubble"
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Hani Cohen, 14 years old, from Giv'at Ze'ev
Was in the wedding with her family. Died instantly in the crashing, found at the night of the tragedy. Was the only one deceased out of her family that night
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Itay Ya'acov Dayan, 3 years old
Was present on the dance floor in the time of the collapsing. Mother was seriously injured, fathe4r and little sister were both saved. When the floor collapsed, Itay was crushed by the masses; the horrified father had the choice, of dropping the baby sister on the second floor, on which he tried hanging on to, or to keep holding her, risking a lethal falling. Thankfully, he succeeded holding onto the younger sibling till help came, but it was too late to save his son.
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Sason Cohen, 60 years old, from Jerusalem
Was a close friend of the groom's family. Came along with his wife, who was injured in the collapse. Left two sons and 3 grandchildren behind. His body was one of the firsts to be found underneath the rubble.
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Ayelet Hernik(Hertov), 38 years old, from Jerusalem
Story of Ayelet is the tragedy of her family. Her father, Ilan, was one of the survivors of the "Antebe operation" (1976), and lost his mother in a retribution operation. His brother was killed in the first war of Lebanon. His daughter Ayelet, killed in Versailles. Her 3 children were injured. Later on also left orphans. The older one was only 11 years old. Younger ones 6 and 3. Ayelet became on of the tragedy's symbols.
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Orit Moreno, 58 years old, from Jerusalem
Was one of the lasts to be pulled out of the rubble. Left a husband, and two sons.
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Shonit Cohen, 20 years old, from Haifa
Was the youngest our of 3 siblings, also the only one present in the wedding hall (from her family) during the collapse. He sister left the hall 40 minutes before the tragedy, and was saved due to that fact.
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Victoria Cohen (24) and Mordechai Butil (25)
Were considered, and are considered until today, the true faces of the Versailles tragedy.
Victoria Cohen and Mordechai Butil met in college, were friend for some time until they fell in love, and from that period, one could hardly separate them. Their friends told of a huge love story, hope, dreams, and a bright future ahead.
They travelled around the world, and when coming back, Motti asked Vicky to marry him. Both were close friends of the bride and groom.
They were due to marry just days after Assi and Keren. When the collapse happened, all friends and family wished to find them alive and well, and didn't lose hope even when time was against them.
Sadly, they were identified hours later, the last two bodies to be found. They were found beneath a pile of rubble, holding each other. In their death, like life itself, they insisted on being together.
Their story was known and told in all of Israel for years. Based on their tragedy, national singer Shlomi Shabbat, along with Uzi Hitman, wrote and composed the song "For you are consecrated unto me", (The word's said by the groom to the bride in Jewish weddings)-
"Oh, my beautiful bride
I give you my oath
In name of love itself
Oh, my beautiful bride
I will ask for your hand in marriage
Even in the next world
So hold me tight
And lets close our eyes quietly
We will stay forever, like two flowers
You and me
A match made In heaven
So lets get married now
And fly into our lovers nest
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Miriam (52), Moshe(27), and Eli'or(12) Sror
Sror family was the family of the groom's brother. Miriam, and her two sons, Moshe (the firstborn) and Eli'or(the youngest) were killed. The father was left unharmed, but saw with his own eyes how his family fell to their death in the collapse. And entire family destroyed in one moment of shock, and pain.
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In the tragedy were also killed-
Ge'ula Cohen, 41
Yosef Shriki, 80
Yaffa Levi, 48
Jacklin Sha'aya, 73
Rafa'el and Hannah Menashe, husband and wife
Two of the other casualties were Inbal Ben Shushan (20) and Refa'el Asslan (57)
Blessed be their memory
