Yad Vashem mourns the tragic and untimely passing of our dear friend and colleague, Zita Turgeman z”l.

Zita was born in August 1972 in Budapest, Hungary. After completing high school in 1990, she fell in love with the State of Israel on a pilot trip with a group of young Hungarians and subsequently made aliyah. In 1996, Zita graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a BA in Education and Literature and began work at the Hadassah Medical School, Ein Kerem. In 2001, through a personal recommendation, Zita was contacted by Yad Vashem with a request to assist with the first course for Hungarian-speaking educators, after which she went on to guide groups from various countries. After many years of guiding and a series of promotions, Zita began organizing seminars for educators from abroad; seminars for Holocaust survivors; and lecturing on a variety of subjects.
In a moving ceremony held in her memory, Director of the European Department at the International School for Holocaust Studies Dr. Doron Avraham recalled Zita’s ability to stay “sincere, gentle and true” to her efforts in Holocaust education.
In November 2005, as Head of the Czech Republic, Slovakian and Croatian Desks, Zita was honored by the Hungarian Government with the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, in recognition of her work in promoting Holocaust education and remembrance in Hungary. While working at Yad Vashem, Zita also strived to gain recognition for the rescuer of her father, Dr. Miklos Gabor. The rescuer, Janos Jurinkovits, was officially honored as a Righteous Among the Nations in 2003.
Zita was murdered on 23 April (25 Nissan). She leaves two children, Tom and Sophie, who were the center of her life. May they and her vital work in Holocaust education be an everlasting tribute to her memory.

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