Jerusalem Terror Too Close to Home

Monday it was raining and pouring 

and puddles of dirty water filled the streets.

image rain and baby in stroller

The stormy weather kept many people inside.

Where is the one place to find a crowd

no matter what the weather?

A synagogue in a religious neighborhood at morning prayers:

 it is a sure thing.

Third intifada or not,

Tuesday’s pools of blood from the horrific murders

filled a Jerusalem, Israel, synagogue, spilling into the streets.

I will refrain from sharing those photos,

as my friend Varda wrote on that topic.

 I posted in Israellycool yesterday,

the extended family of Rav Moshe Twersky z”l has been important

image Rabbi Moshe Twersky murdered by terroists

to us for more years than I want to count.

I prefer to share photos of victims we want to remember.

After I wrote that,

we found out yet another connection to the victims.

Looking through mainstream media accounts,

one sees photos of the butchering murderers,

but not even the names of the victims.

Sometimes it feels as though there are no degrees of separation.

We had the privilege of being present

at the engagement and wedding,

of Rav Kalman Levine’s z”l daughter.

image kalman levine

And in the same building where he was murdered,

Rav Kalman Levine z”l had the joy of celebrating

the brit milah of a grandson in May 2012.

Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky z”l was originally from Detroit,

and moved to Har Nof from Kiryat Arba many years ago.

Avraham Shmuel Goldberg z”l was originally from Liverpool.

Today there was news of a fifth fatality,

the Israeli policeman who was first to arrive at the crime scene,

Zidan Sayif, who was a member of the Druze community

and also a young father.

Howie Rothman, originally from Canada,

is in a coma, having barely survived an ax attack to his head.

The family of Shmuel Yerucham ben Baila asked for Tehillim,

prayers for his recovery and the other victims.

Not all is good on the real streets.

image restaurant that was bombed

A new security guard stands alert at the entrance

to this popular cafe spot, next to the sign

marking the spot where these people were killed by a suicide bomber.

image of Hebrew sign

 The celebration for new Olim was held,

sorry I was not able to attend and share it with you.

However, today a new group of 58 immigrants

arrived from the United States.

These olim have chosen to make Israel,

 their new home.

They can join us in offering the traditional words

of comfort to mourners:

המקום  ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Besorot tovot

is a popular expression heard this week,

with everyone looking for good news.

But when will Arab media stop inciting violence?