Bat-Chen Shahak was born on the Purim holiday, March 19, 1981. At the age of 10, when she was in fourth grade, she began writing her first diary following the outbreak of the Gulf War. It was a very frightening time, and her teacher suggested that the children keep a diary to record their reactions, feelings and anxieties that they experienced as a result of the war. She called it “The War Diary.” Bat-Chen was killed in a terrorist attack near Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, on Purim, March 4, 1996.