Turning Loss into Light: The Inspiring Story of the NORO Project in Jerusalem

An exceptionally moving evening dedicated to memory, pain, love, and hope took place at the home of artist Tami Gutman, head of the Jerusalem branch of the Israel Cancer Association and widow of attorney Hilik Gutman. She hosted a gathering as part of the Zikaron Basalon initiative for the Nova festival.

A Journey of Remembrance

Sigal Manzuri, who together with her husband Menashe lost their daughters Norelle and Roya, along with Amit Cohen—Norelle’s partner who was like a son to them—at the Nova party, shared her story. Sigal spoke to the attendees about the complex and meaningful commemorative journey she and her family are leading in Israel and around the world, driven by a desire to spread the light of Norelle and Roya.

Alongside the immense pain, the journey grants her a sense of purpose and strengthens her connection to the community. One of her and her husband's greatest fears is that their daughters will be forgotten, and out of that fear grows the strength to continue telling their story.

Turning Pain into Purpose

"We realized that our private pain could transform into a mission," Sigal shared, describing the heart-wrenching moment of clearing out Roya and Amit’s apartment.

Driven by the desire to continue their daughters' paths and turn their memory into living action, Sigal and Liat Ben Artzi established the "NORO Mairot Derech" initiative. The name combines Norelle and Roya. The project serves as an open home incorporating the worlds of content of the two sisters, providing therapeutic support and empowerment for at-risk teenage girls through styling and fashion.

This is a journey marked by endless yearning, yet it is also a courageous choice to transform memory into action, loss into connection, and pain into a source of strength.