A Random Swedish Man’s Act of Kindness Toward Israel Conveys the Sacredness of Life

While so many have been shockingly silent in the wake of the atrocious massacre in Israel on October 7 — apathetic or, worse, blaming Israel for Hamas’s barbarism — most around the world are trying to process the trauma of what will forever be seen as the most gruesome attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Many have been left feeling painfully, terrifyingly alone. Set against this stage of dismay at the overall lack of public outrage is a non-Jew from Sweden, an economist named Olof Appleton, who upon hearing of the atrocities was compelled to express his grief through action. On the morning of October 10, Mr. Appleton sent 900 red roses in condolences to the Israeli ambassador at Stockholm, Ziv Nevo Kulman. He said the two met once at the Egyptian ambassador’s residence but did not know each other personally. The simple note attached read, “Stand strong! We love Israel!”Nine-hundred red roses, each one representing an innocent life lost in the face of terrorism. When he sent the roses, that was the death toll. We now know that number has risen as more and more bodies are found. As of Thursday, the toll is estimated to be more than 1,300 murdered and another 3,000 wounded. At least 100 people were taken hostage by Hamas and are believed to be held in Gaza. I pressed Mr. Appleton on why, when so many others might have paused to register sadness, maybe even called a Jewish friend to check in, he did more. His response was humble and nonchalant: “It was nothing. We were all so shocked. So many were so quiet. But you can’t be quiet when this happens. You have to do something.” The 900 roses arrived just before lunch hour and, due to lack of space inside, sat outside the gate of the consulate as a beautiful memorial to the victims. Since then, because people had tried to destroy them or throw them out, they had to be moved inside the gate. Upon receiving the roses, the head of business/commerce at the Embassy, Roberth Friedman, called Mr. Appleton to say thank you. He relayed that the 900 roses had been sent over in sets of 50. So he had, unknowingly and auspiciously, sent 18 bouquets of roses.Mr. Friedman explained that the number 18 in Hebrew is representative of Chai, or life. He had sent over 900 red roses each commemorating the loss of a single life, in groupings that in Hebrew conveys the very sacredness of life.

A Random Swedish Man’s Act of Kindness Toward Israel Conveys the Sacredness of Life

A Random Swedish Man’s Act of Kindness Toward Israel Conveys the Sacredness of Life

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