13-year-old Naor Shalev Ben-Ezra carrying a Torah scroll as he celebrates his Bar Mitzvah with family and friends at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City . Naor Shalev was critically injured in a stabbing attack in Pisgat Zeev in Jerusalem over two mothes ago. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
JERUSALEM—Naor Shalev Ben-Ezra, the 13-year-old boy who was stabbed and nearly killed by two Arab teenagers while riding his bicycle in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev two months ago, gathered with family and friends at the Kotel (Western Wall) today and was called to the Torah in celebration of his bar mitzvah.
Among the guests was David Dalfon, a paramedic with the Magen Dovid Adom emergency rescue service who was the first responder at the scene and is credited with saving the young man’s life.
Following the attack, the critically wounded Ben-Ezra was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed life-saving surgery, after which he spent a week in an induced coma, connected to a respirator.
Ben-Ezra was attacked by Ahmed Mansara, 13 and his cousin, Hassan Mansara, 15. The older teen was shot and killed by police. The younger assailant was hit by a car while attempting to flee and was subsequently arrested and is facing charges.“It was a lot of fun, the whole family was together, everyone was dancing,” Ben-Ezra told Israel’s Channel 2 news station at the celebration. “It’s nice when there are a lot of photographs taken of you, and you are in the news, and all of the Jewish people see you,” he said. “But it is not so nice when people ask you about the terror attack you were in. It is not nice to recall something sad when you are having fun.”
Naor with David Dalfon, a paramedic with the Magen Dovid Adom emergency rescue service who was the first responder at the scene and is credited with saving the young man’s life.
Wrapping tefillin before being called to the Torah.