Rivka and Gershon Ashton

I'm Rivka Ashton, and I gave birth to my firstborn on October 10, 1978, which happened to be Yom Kippur, at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva. The birth happened at the eighth month of my pregnancy. We had come to Israel from India in the early sixties.

At the time of the birth I saw with my own eyes a boy crying and after several minutes the obstetrician came and told me that the baby had died. When I was released from the hospital I asked for the body of the baby and I was told by a doctor that they took had taken of the burial. I must say that I was not shown the body of the baby even though I had asked. Nor did I receive the baby’s death certificate. But I did receive the birth benefits from the state even though the baby had died according to the hospital claims.

We have never received a death notification or any document to attest to the death of the child.

At the time of the birth I saw—with my own eyes—a crying baby boy, but after several minutes the obstetrician came back and told me that the baby had died. When I was released from the hospital I asked for the baby's body and I was told by a doctor that they would be taking care of the burial.