(Jewish Group) 50 years after the Munich Olympics massacre, families of the slain continue to grieve

[Behind the Aegis]

50 years after the Munich Olympics massacre, families of the slain continue to grieve — and remember

The pain feels fresh again — 50 years later.

The families of the 11 Israeli athletes, coaches and referees killed by PLO terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972 have grappled with their grief in the half-century since, and worked to ensure that their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers are not forgotten.

Michal Shahar named her son after her father, Kehat Schor, a coach for the shooting team. Her daughter and son-in-law adopted his last name when they married. Shahar’s grandson paid tribute in a school genealogy assignment to the great-grandfather he never met.

As the 50th anniversary of the Sept. 5–6 killings approaches, several public commemorations are planned in Israel and Germany. The families had originally threatened to boycott events in Germany in a dispute over compensation from the German government, but those claims were settled Wednesday and now many of the families are planning to fly to Munich. German officials did not disclose the sum that was agreed to, but German news agency dpa reported that Germany increased its offer to around $28 million dollars, up from the initial $10 million, including payments previously made. Representatives of the German government did not respond to several requests for comment from the Forward.

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