Lydia Zilberstein

Oct 9, 2003 - Lydia Zilberstein, 56, of Haifa was one of 21 people killed in a suicide bombing carried out by a female terrorist from Jenin in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa on October 4. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast devastated the restaurant, of joint Jewish-Arab ownership, on Hahagana Boulevard near the southern entrance of the coastal city. It was packed mostly with regular Saturday customers. The bomber, Hanadi Jaradat, a 29-year-old lawyer from Jenin, managed to get past Maxim's security guard before blowing herself up in the middle of the restaurant. The security guard, an Israeli Arab, was killed in the attack, along with three other Israeli Arab employees of the restaurant. The victims included five members of the Almog family from Haifa and five members of the Zer-Aviv family from Kibbutz Yagur. Four children were killed and 60 people were wounded in the bombing.

Lydia Zilberstein was having lunch with her husband Gideon and her son and daughter-in-law when the bomb exploded. She was mortally wounded and died on October 9, never having regained consciousness; Gideon suffered moderate injuries.

Lydia and Gideon ran an accounting office frequented by most of the artists, musicians and actors in Haifa. One of her clients, musician Ronen Williams, remembers her as a dominant person who was both warm and caring - not the typical accountant. She would attend all the family celebrations of her clients.

The family agreed to donate her organs for transplant. "Mother was a good person, and we believe that if she knew she could save others, she would want to do it," said her daughter Orit.

Lydia Zilberstein was buried in Haifa. She is survived by her husband Gideon and their three children.