“I was at home in Givat Zeev when I received the message of a terror attack on ZAKA and MDA internal communication system. I immediately got on my motorbike and traveled to the site of the attack. The child was already without a breath of life. The only thing left to do was to cover him with a ZAKA bag.
The injured were evacuated by ambulance from the scene, some with CPR. The small body of the child was transferred to the ZAKA ambulance at the site.
Another ZAKA volunteer R’ Yisroel Wertheimer called to me and asked if the mother was here. The police officer commander said that if there was someone there who could identify the child, he would be released immediately for burial. Otherwise they would need to take him to Abu Kabir facility for identification.
R’ Yisroel and I began to search for neighbors and for the mother. A neighbor who lived in the building provided us with the names of the children. We asked him if the mother was there and he said yes. He brought us to her. She was surrounded by neighbors who had come to be with her in these difficult moments.
We came up to her and asked, “Are you the mother?”
“Yes.”
Carefully we said that in a few minutes we would call her, that we and the police officer wanted to speak to her. She looked me in the eyes and asked: “Is my son alive? What is his situation?”
I looked at my fellow ZAKA volunteer R’ Yisroel Wertheimer, he looked back at me – what could we answer her? I said – We need your tefillos, soon we will know. In our hearts we knew that he was no longer among the living. Click here to send the families your support>>>
My heart was breaking. I was trying not to burst out crying in front of the mother. Tears were leaking from my eyes. In the end – the ZAKA ambulance was sent directly to the Shamgar funeral home at the direction of the police, and the mother was taken in a special car with United Hatzalah paramedics who were with her at the most difficult moment when she received the bitter news.
The mother received the news and reacted, “What can I say? Thank you to Hashem that I had him for 5 years. I am sending him as a korban back to Hashem.”
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ZAKA:
As our hearts break and mourn for the families of the victims, we urge every single person who is reading this to please open your hearts and show your unwavering support to your brethren in Israel who need it so badly. ZAKA asks that readers donate to help ensure victims of terror receive proper halachic burial. Please join us in showing your support for the families of the victims who were torn apart by this tragedy and potential subsequent tragedies.
This is how you can show your support. Click here to donate to ZAKA now.