Modiin Center train station became a place of remembrance this week. In a moving ceremony, Israel Railways dedicated a new synagogue named after observer Noa Marciano, who was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas—the first time the rail company has established a synagogue at a station.
3+Attending the ceremony were Israel Railways Board Chairman Moshe Shemoni, Acting CEO Avner Flor, Modiin Mayor Haim Bibas, the city’s chief rabbi, members of the Marciano family, railway employees, and other guests who came to honor her memory.
Noa Marciano, daughter of Israel Railways employee Avi Marciano, served as an observer at the Nahal Oz outpost. During the October 7, 2023 terror attack, she was abducted to Gaza and murdered in captivity more than a month later, on November 14.
During the ceremony, family members and friends shared stories about Noa’s character, her sense of mission, and her desire to contribute to the country. They mentioned her “gratitude journal,” where she wrote down meaningful thoughts and moments from her life—a notebook that became a symbol of the optimism and values that guided her after her death.
Her father, Avi Marciano, said the decision to memorialize his daughter specifically through a synagogue holds special meaning for the family. “Now we can continue to honor Noa through prayer and Torah study that will take place in the synagogue in her memory. I thank all the partners at Israel Railways who accompanied us, supported the family, and helped bring our Noa’s memorial project to fruition,” he said.
3+Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev said the synagogue will serve as “a house of remembrance, of hope, and of continuity.” According to her, “Noa, who was kidnapped and murdered while fulfilling her mission defending the State of Israel, will now be memorialized in a place that spreads light, faith, and unity. The Israel Railways family and the Marciano family are teaching us all how to transform great pain into a project of life and values.”
Transportation Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken noted that this memorial expresses the spirit of mutual responsibility within the transportation family. “The synagogue will serve as a place of prayer, strength, and living memory, and will allow thousands of passengers and employees to stop for a moment, remember Noa and her courage, and continue to carry her legacy.”
3+Israel Railways Board Chairman Moshe Shemoni said he has accompanied the Marciano family since October 7. “I saw the enormous pain alongside the courageous choice to continue and tell Noa’s story. There is no place that symbolizes continuity more than a synagogue that will bear her name. In every prayer heard here, Noa’s name will also be heard.”
3+The synagogue is expected to serve train passengers, station employees, and area residents, while simultaneously serving as a permanent memorial site honoring Noa Marciano, so that her story and legacy will accompany the thousands who pass through daily.