Garden of the Missing in Action facts for kids

The Garden of the Missing in Action (Hebrew: גן הנעדרים, Gan HaNe'edarim) is a special memorial garden. It is located in Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel. This garden is part of the National Military and Police cemetery. It honors soldiers and police officers whose bodies were never found. These are people who went "missing in action" from 1914 until today.

The garden also has a temporary monument for "unknown soldiers." These are soldiers whose bodies were found but could not be identified. This monument will later move to the National Memorial Hall. The memorial includes names of both Jewish and non-Jewish soldiers and officers. They all served in the Israeli Army and Israeli Police.

What is the Garden of the Missing?

The term "missing in action" refers to soldiers or officers who disappeared during a battle or while on duty. Their bodies were never found. This means their families do not have a specific grave to visit. The Garden of the Missing provides a place for families and the public to remember these brave individuals.

The garden features "empty graves." These are symbolic memorials for each person who is missing. Next to these empty graves, there is a large memorial board. This board lists all the names of those who are missing in action. There is also a special memorial plaza for ceremonies.

History of the Garden

The area where the garden stands was first built in 1954. This was a short time after an ancient Jewish cave was found nearby. The garden was officially named the Garden of the Missing in 2004. This renaming made its purpose clearer: to honor those who disappeared while serving their country.

Nearby Memorials

The Operation Boatswain Memorial is located right next to the Garden of the Missing. This memorial remembers the brave seamen of the "Kaf Gimel" (23) Boat. They went missing during a secret mission in 1948.

Gallery

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  A memorial board showing names of the missing.

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  Empty Grave memorials, honoring those whose bodies were never found.

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  A memorial for Eli Cohen, a famous Israeli spy who went missing.

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  The memorial plaza, used for special ceremonies.

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  The INS Dakar Memorial, remembering a submarine that disappeared.

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  The eternal flame of the garden, symbolizing everlasting remembrance.

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  The Operation Boatswain Memorial, located near the garden.