Lebanese Jewish Community Leader's Wife Dies After 42 Years of Waiting for His Return
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Miriam Jammous, wife of a Lebanese Jewish community leader abducted in 1984, died on Yom Kippur after 42 years of waiting for his return. Her son recounted her life, including her past efforts to help Syrian Jews immigrate to Israel and her subsequent leadership role in the Lebanese Jewish community after her husband's disappearance. As negotiations for the return of bodies of abducted community members progressed, Miriam's health declined, and she passed away expressing her weariness and longing for her husband.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Miriam Jammous died on Yom Kippur after 42 years of waiting for news of her husband, abducted in Lebanon in 1984.
- Her son, Moshe Jammous, shared details of her life, including her past activism helping Syrian Jews immigrate to Israel.
- Miriam took over leadership of the Lebanese Jewish community after her husband Shlomo's abduction and murder.
- She helped arrange for her sons' escape to Israel in 1986, two years after her husband's disappearance.
- Miriam immigrated to Israel in 1989 and remained involved in efforts to resolve her husband's case.
- In her final moments, she expressed exhaustion and a desire for her husband's return amidst ongoing negotiations.
Miriam (Mero) Jammous, wife of the late head of the Jewish community in Lebanon, Shlomo Murad Jammous, died on Yom Kippur, having waited 42 years for any news of her husband, who was abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations in Lebanon in August 1984. The couple lived in Lebanon with their three children until Shlomo's abduction. Miriam later immigrated to Israel and closely followed the slow negotiations aimed at locating and returning the bodies of 12 members of the Jewish community, including her husband.
Her son, Moshe Jammous, recounted his mother's life story, highlighting her resilience and dedication. Born in Damascus, Syria, Miriam was deeply involved in helping Jewish girls from Syria immigrate to Israel, even serving jail time for her efforts. She eventually made her way to Lebanon, where she met and married Shlomo Jammous, a prominent figure in the community. They settled in Beirut and had three sons.
After Shlomo's abduction, Miriam took on a leading role in the community, managing affairs and even overseeing the burial of bodies that were sometimes left near their home. She orchestrated the escape of her sons to Israel in October 1986, two years after her husband's disappearance, though she herself returned to Lebanon temporarily before finally immigrating to Israel in 1989. Her son described her struggle upon arrival in Israel, facing financial hardship and a loss of status.
Miriam Jammous remained actively involved in the efforts to ascertain her husband's fate, meeting with officials like Gal Hirsch, the Coordinator of Prisoners and Missing Persons. As negotiations with Lebanon progressed and her husband's case became part of the discussions, she grew increasingly frail. In her final moments, while hospitalized and aware of the ongoing talks, she expressed her exhaustion and a desire for her husband's return, saying, "Moshe, I can let go. I am tired."
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