Menahem Avellim

6 of the Thirteenth Month

Top row: Avraham David Moses, 16; Ro'i Roth, 18; Neria Cohen, 15; Yonatan Eldar, 16.

Bottom row: Yochai Lifshitz, 18; Segev Peniel Avihail, 15; Yehonadav Hirschfeld, 19; Doron Meherete, 26.

Yonatan Yitzhaq Eldar HY"D learned with me only for a quarter, years ago. I was in a car with him only two weeks ago. I asked where he was learning. When he said Yashla"tz (Yeshivah le'Tze'irim Yerushalayim), I was impressed. I told him that I could see that, that I thought it was a good choice for him.*

A friend of his was visiting my town last Shabbath. I mentioned how Yonatan was so adept in computers. His friend combated, "Computers?! The Torah Yoantan knew!"

I felt stupid. He was right. The impeccable reputation of Yashla"tz has been mentioned in the media a lot recently. Believe everything you hear. The students really are the cream of the crop.

I was at the Eldars' house on Sunday. I saw his brothers, two older, two younger, one who looks just like him. After Minhah, I made my way to the brother I knew. I couldn't get to the other family. It was packed.

Rav Avraham Yerushalmi, the Eldar's next door neighbor, led the mishnah study, the first letter of each chosen mishnah spelling out Yonatan. Rav Avraham also lost a son, Shmu'el Efraim HY"D, almost six years ago, in the attack I survived. That whole street in Shilo was hit hard: Yerushalmi, Kessler, Apter...HY"D. There was one more, but I do not remember the name.

I stood in line with everyone else....

HaMaqom yenahem ethkhem im kol avlei Tzion viYrushalayim.

*********

*I have always been free with my opinions of yeshivah high schools and yeshivoth gedoloth to my students, and about where I thought was appropriate for them, both for their personalities, needs, and, of course, hashqafah.

Here's a link to Batya's (Eldars' neighbor) piece about Yonatan's HY"D funeral.