Lydia Lanksner, a nurse and the director of the emergency headquarters in Laniado Hospital in Netanya, had to spend the Pesach night together with her family at the Park Hotel, but cancelled her order. Instead, she was called to treat wounded people. – “I made an order for the Pesach night at Park Hotel for the entire family, 35 people”, – recollects Lansskner. – “I, my husband, the children, the parents and the family from Belgium. It was a period of terroristic acts. One week before the Pesach Eve, a terroristic act happened in Jeremy Hotel in Netanya. Two terrorists fired upon the hotel, and two people died. I treated the wounded people in the hospital. I came home very tired this evening.
My daughter Shira was 9 years old. She pulled my dress and said: “Why do you take us to the hotel? They fire upon people in hotels”. I saw the fear in her eyes and understood that I was also afraid, but obviously repressed my fear. I said to myself: “If my daughter is afraid, I cannot force her to go”. I understood that she was not the only one who was terrified; she was just the only one who spoke. I decided to cancel the order. I notified the hotel. My husband said: “How shall we spend the Seder? We are not ready, we have bought nothing. We have less than one week”. We told everyone we would make the Seder at home. On the Pesach night we all huddled in the house and got up to do a Kiddush. Right in this moment we heard a strong explosion. The echo of the explosion was heard over the entire city. One minute later my pager notified: “An explosion in the Park Hotel, all the staff please come to the hospital”.
We all were shocked. There were cries and shouts. My mother-in law fainted. I told them: “Calm down, continue reading the Haggadah. I go to the hospital”. I came to the hospital. When I opened the door, I did not see the wounded people. I saw myself, my husband, the children and my mother-in-law. It took me a few minutes to recover. It was a very serious terroristic act. 70 wounded people came to the emergency room. It was very hard. The fear of my daughter saved us. Thanks God I listened to her”.
