La fin du conte...

HEBREW CALENDAR

Although Ofra is no longer with us, we do have to learn with it so that her soul doesn't feel our pain and can reach highers grounds, in the kingdom of G-d. Hence, remembering her on the anniverssary date of her departure is definitely not a negative action. It is on the contrary a strong sign of respect that to light a candle that night, and remember all the happiness and healing Ofra brought us, and still brings to our soul, forever. And if you want to be even closer, you can base your night of rememberance on the Hebrew Calendar, so you can blend with her culture. And as Ofra was beyond religions and borders, you may even celebrate this night both on the Hebrew calendar and our Gregorian calendar.

February 23rd, 2000 is the 18 Adar 5760 at sunset: it will bring us to these dates:
Jeudi 11 Mars 2004 (18 Adar, 5764)
Dimanche 27 Février 2005 (18 Adar I, 5765)
Samedi 18 Mars 2006 (18 Adar, 5766)
Jeudi 08 Mars 2007 (18 Adar, 5767)
Dimanche 24 Février 2008 (18 Adar I, 5768)
Samedi 14 Mars 2009 (18 Adar, 5769)
Jeudi 04 Mars 2010 (18 Adar, 5770)
Jeudi 22 Février 2011 (18 Adar I, 5771)
Lundi 12 Mars 2012 (18 Adar, 5772)
Jeudi 28 Février 2013 (18 Adar, 5773)
Mardi 18 Février 2014 (18 Adar I, 5774)

Photo: Ofra, Bezalel and a lucky admirer in Poland, 1997.

I can still remember the emotion. It was the morning, I was having my coffee, before heading to work. As often, I listen to one of our local radio, and in the end of the news, the tragedy is told, Ofra is in intensive care, we are the 10th of February. From that moment on, we keep our fingers crossed, my mails with my friend working at that time in Melbourne, Australia reach an hourly average of communication as she is fond of Ofra and she also heard the news there.

Unfortunately, after several days of hope, the brutal news fell upon us. Ofra left us on the 23rd of February at 7:40pm at Chiba Hospital. It's a vast emotion in Israel and beyond. Because there have been many things said and it may seem difficult to tell what true and what isn't that sure (and it's only several months later on that information are cross-matched which allowed us to know more precisely the facts). Information coming from Israel and people closed to Ofra. Thank you to the yahoo club, Daniel but also Bezalel and people who managed to gather various reports so that we have been able to stay as faithful to the truth as possible.

Still, we knew from the start what caused Ofra's death but as nothing was officially confirmed, it took so time to assess that truth. Thus, the site http://www.hans-zimmer.com/fr/mv/haza/index.php (French) suggest: "Her 13 last days in intensive care were a national drama in Israel, whereas she could have walked to the pneumo department, she quickly fell into a deep coma and each change in her health status was reported by the hour through the television channels that have settled in the hospital of Tel-Hashomer. During these 13 days, her parents and her 8 brothers and siters were by her bed-head, at turns, but when they left the place during that dark evening of Wednesday 23 February 2000, everyone knew the sickness took over Ofra, at just 42. Prime Minister Ehud Barak said she was the Israelite Success Story. According to her will and her parent's, the exact cause of her pain was long time hidden and it's finally the Monday before her death that Ran Reznick, medical representant, spoke and broke the taboo. Ofra was victim of the HIV. A "shameful" sickness that she wanted to hide until the end, fighting alone with courage whereas many regretted after that she didn't talk about it to help the people HIV positive. But the weight of this truth was too heavy, too huge to carry for the huge star that she was, the scandal would have weakened her way too much". Credit, Nicolas, webmaster of the site www.hans-zimmer.com (free translation, webaster ofra-haza.org). If you wonder where the connection between Hans Zimmer and Ofra lies, go back HERE.

First shock: Ofra, dying, weighted less than 30 kilos! Why? If Ofra has been taken to intensive car on the 2nd of February, that's because one her sisters, worried no to hear from her went to go and see her. But let's go back in time. Ofra married in 1997 to Doron Ashkenazi. This one was presented to Ofra as a good man, a gentlement in fact, keen on business who would know how to take care of her. Ofra was hesitating, and to tell the truth, wasn't that keen. But as some friends were assuring her of the good man he was, and Ofra not getting any younger she finally made the step with Doron, having in mind the idea that she will learn to love him and have a warm house with kids. He is Ofra's first. She has always lived alone, concentrated on her career and family and her work with Bezalel. Probably the need for children pushed her.

It wasn't long after the wedding for Doron to start cutting relations between Ofra and her entourage. Her friends, her family, as far as her manager. Ofra, in respect, fitted in this role of a woman at home doing the cooking, while Doron was out at night. Soon, we realized Doron was no angel. He was hooked on drugs and hookers. Two habits he kept running, even after he was married to Ofra (incredible how tongues untied over time and pressure). And not to forget, a violent attitude to his ex wife (police reports).

Two facts: Ofra was virgin before her marriage to Dorn, Ofra wasn't pregnant when she passed away (these two questions do come quite often). It was obviously the shock to learn Ofra was HIV positive. What is sure is she learnt it too late. Doron, afraid of the scandal did all he could to keep Ofra at home (who, weeks after weeks, resigned herself to inform other of her condition, for fear of shame). There was only a "doctor" that came to their house, but it was far from being enough. Meanwhile, Doron was doing all he could to sell Ofra's own house.

Ofra was dying slowly, stayed inhouse, getting sicker and sicker. Ofra'sister, Zehava, tired of waiting for Ofra to give a sign, went there and once arrived, she immediately called the emergency. But it was too late. Ofra wasn't strong enough to fight all the different viruses, these last viruses took over the little princess until the point of no return. While Ofra was in intensive care, hundreds of fan gathered around the hospital, stayed days and nights but only Ofra's family was allowed to access her room (obivously), but under severe rules. Nothing could help Ofra and soon she was in a coma. Her vital organs failed one after another until she was just a thin petite under respiratory assistance. Fans were coming from all the country and from abroad so much the shock was huge and the rumors were spreading fast about his husband who stayed very quiet (no wonders). The day of the funerals was like a National Mourning. A vast respect that spread beyond the borders. After these funerals, a nation wide mourning gathering artists and politicians and thousands of fans, things started to get clearer. Bezalel was overwhelmed by the journalists but could only redirect them to Doron as he drastically reduced the contacts between Ofra and Bezalel lately. But then again Doron makes no statement.

Although the rumor said Ofra was HIV positive, it was denied by her family, for fear of the shock it could spread. Indeed, how come a woman like Ofra, who rised from the poor suburbs to reach the paroxysm like no other artists in Israel could be betrayed just like that? Well, because Ofra, despite her status, always stayed simple, her feet weel anchored on the ground and trusted her close friends and relatives. Needless to say that people who recommended Doron to Ofra, who were also severely betrayed must suffer the greatest of pain, in their conscious. An immense pain for this betrayal and its consequence. I doubt there are any words to describe this huge pain. Thinking back in 1994, the greatest TV show host asked for Ofra's hand which she politely denied as she was still focused on her carreer was the chance Ofra missed, no doubt about it.

And when we think we've heard it all, more outstanding events happen. After Ofra's death, her husband kept on spending her money, what's more, he also sold everything in her own house, to maintain his habits. When Ofra left, she had 35 million dollars in her account but when Bezalel went to check her account after Ofra's mother, Kadaya passed away (this occured a few months after Ofra's death, Kadaya was sick and her treatment costed a lot), he saw her account was empty. He then went to her own home (that same house her husband could never sell in the end as Ofra used to call her sister to force people to give up on buying the house) he saw nothing, not even a carpet, not even a lamp, Doron has sold absolutely everything and there was only the walls!!! And in 2001 Doron died of an overdose in a dark place. Who know how many women he infected? How about his ex wife? (which, by the way, he was violent with) And his two children? That many questions that may find answer over time.

All that made of Ofra, nowadays, not a legend, but an exceptional woman who stood the worse of destiny. When some are taken away in full success, they become a legend. Ofra, on the opposite, is not a legend because the people who loved her (I'm talking about her admirers) don't see her as a legend, but as a woman who has always stayed grounded, easy to reach, hence, they didn't feel out of her life, but linked to her as an important part of their entourage, if not an affectionate family link. That is the magic of Ofra, she gets in your life, don't leave you and even if like me, you never met her, you know she's fully part of your daily life, strong as a family link.

Ofra still makes new fans and admirers, even among the teenagers who discover Ofra at the corner of a cd shop or a web page, and they dwelve into this world, like millions have already did. This can be seen on our yahoo group, but it's just a small drop.

What you need to know:

Doron's family. Doron has a 8 years old boy and 15 years old girl. During an evening supposed to be family reunion (the night of Seder), Doron wasn't with his family, he prefered to stay alone to pay his respect. That night he died of overdose, the 7th of April 2001, during one of his Cristal Evening (police investigation report). That same report confirms Doron was HIV positive, hence, contaminating Ofra. Where the pain is the greatest to us all is that shall Ofra has been aware of her conditions earlier, she could have taken the treatment which would have given her greater chance of still being with us today. Doron was concentrated on the validity of Ofra's testament, according to Doron's lawyers. Legal procedures that were to take place a few weeks later on.

A few weeks before she passed away, Ofra called Bezalel to advise him of her conditions and her health. "I said a year ago already that this man (Doron) was responsible. He surrounded himself with an army of lawyers. His death only confirm that Ofra's death was tragic and futile. Doron was the first and the last man in Ofra's life, and it's a tragedy", confides Bezalel.

French free translation, the webmaster. Portions of this page are under the copyright of Ha'aretz, The Jerusalem Post and Yediot Aharonot, as well as information from third parties. Translated back in English by the webmaster, hence, some slight changes may occur in the vocabulary used according to the original issues.