Svetlana Sandler

Jan 22, 2002 - Svetlana Sandler, 56, of Jerusalem was one of two women killed when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire with an M-16 assault rifle near a bus stop in downtown Jerusalem.

The terrorist opened fire at shops and pedestrians on downtown Jerusalem's Jaffa Road at the intersection of Harav Kook St. shortly after 16:00. He managed to fire 58 bullets from two magazines before he was gunned down by two policemen on patrol in the area.

Svetlana Sandler, who was a Christian, immigrated to Israel a decade ago with her Jewish husband and a son from a previous marriage. In 1993, the couple, who were married for under two years, were divorced, and her 30-year-old son was expelled from the country since he was not a Jew and did not qualify for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.

Svetlana, a building engineer, soon found work in her field. Several weeks ago, she was fired from her job, but found a new job in an architect's office.

Jewish Agency officials succeeded in locating Sandler's elderly mother, sister, and son in the Russian city of Khadivinsk. Neighbors said Sandler sent part of her monthly earnings to her elderly mother in Russia, and that her son was in a Russian mental hospital. They said her best friend was her dog, Philip.

Svetlana Sandler's body was flown to Russia for burial in her home town.