ASIAN LADIES ASSOCIATION TURNS OVER DONATION
FOR PROJECT “OPEN DOORS” 

 8 November 2007—Charge d’ Affairs a.i. Gilberto Asuque (center) receives the deposit slip of the donation of the Asian Ladies Association for the project “Open Doors” (inset) during a simple ceremony at the Embassy.  The members of the Association formally turned over the donation to the Organizing Committee for the Celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between the Republic of the Philippines and the State of Israel, which is chaired by CDA Asuque.     “Open Doors” is the first Philippine monument to be installed at the Holocaust Memorial Park in Rishon LeZion  to memorialize the humanitarian deeds of the Filipinos when they welcomed the migration to the Philippines in 1939 of thousands of European Jews escaping the Holocaust.   “Open Doors” is a testament to the open door policy of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon when he authorized in 1939 the issuance of thousands of visas to Jews escaping the Holocaust.     The turn over ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Simcha Salpeter (right side next to CDA Asuque), Vice Consul Thaddeus Hamoy (far Left) and Labor Attaché Merriam Cuasay (far right).  The Asian Ladies Association is a group of Filipinos and former Filipinos that serve as support group to Filipinos married to Israelis. They also support the activities of the Philippine Embassy. (Embassy photo)

/Gary