As Associate Director of Chabad’s Terror Victims Project (CTVP), I’ve seen too many heartbreaking sights. But few could compare to the most recent tragedies in Jerusalem...
Yitzchak is the oldest son in a family of nine children. His father was one of the four Rabbis brutally murdered in the Har Nof area of Jerusalem in November.
During my first two visits to the family, Yitzchak sat quietly, clutching his father’s tefillin to his chest.
When I came again, this time with CTVP supporters who flew in especially from the U.S., Yitzchak took the tefillin out of their cases. He wanted to show us the blood splattered on them – his father’s blood. The straps too had been drenched in blood and were buried.
I struggled to maintain my composure as Yitzchak spoke to us in a soft voice, his eyes filled with tears. A child should never have to go through this.
We’re doing everything we can for these families. 24 children have been robbed of their fathers. Four women robbed of their husbands. We’ve given each of these families a large financial gift from CTVP donors in the United States.
For those wounded in this horrific attack we’re providing support as well. One is a father of ten children who’s fighting for his life. Babysitting has been arranged for the children, and we are providing a hotel so his wife can be at his bedside in the hospital 24/7.
We’ve also given financial help to the family of the courageous Druze police officer who gave his life, thus saving many lives in the synagogue. We’ve visited his family and will do all we can for them.
Jerusalem has had far too many terror attacks in recent weeks, and we are helping the families whose lives were shattered by those incomprehensible acts of violence.
Tragically the terror continues. We urgently need your help now to be “everywhere” at once during this terrible period of violence plaguing Israel.
In addition, there are the thousands of families already in our care from previous wars and terror attacks, as well as the recent Gaza War.
May we speedily see the time when Hashem will wipe away the tears and send us Moshiach now.
Yossi Swerdlov
