A memorial service was held at Temple Beth Am here Monday night for Haim Cohen Halala, a Beirut Jewish businessman kidnapped and murdered by Shiite Moslem extremists. His brother and sister-in-law, Yitzhak and Rose Mary Cohen, are Los Angeles residents.
Howard Friedman, national president of the American Jewish Committee, who spoke at the service, declared, ” The brutal slaying of Haim Cohen Halala adds another human being to the tragically growing numbers of innocent persons who have become victims of mindless terrorism.”
Friedman went on to say that “terrorists have cast a threatening shadow over the efforts of peace-loving nations to achieve the security, understanding and reconciliation so vital in this troubled world. The death of Haim Cohen Halala should renew our determination to resist extremism, condemn its perpetrators, and demand that the world community unanimously affirm and act according to these principles.”
Halala left a wife and three sons in Beirut. The State Department has conveyed its deepest regrets to the family and expressed the “revulsion” of the U.S government at “this brutal killing.” Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles sent his condolences to the bereaved family. The memorial service was attended by about 200 people.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
