The four victims of the terror attack on a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris on Friday were named Saturday by CRIF, an umbrella group of French Jewish communities.
The four victims are Yoav Hattab, 21, Yohan Cohen, 20, Philippe Braham, 45, and Francois-Michel Saada, 64.
Yoav Hattab
A relative of Yoav Hattab said Yoav had just returned to Paris from a visit to Israel as part of the “Taglit-Birthright” project on Wednesday.
Hattab left behind six brothers and was living in Paris alone, where he was studying.
His father, the Shliach Rabbi Benyamin Hattab, is the Menahel of Chabad Talmud Torah in Tunis. He was the right hand man of the Tunisian Head Shliach Rabbi Pinson for many years, and remains a pillar of the Chabad mosdos in the country.
After Shabbos was over, he was informed of the tragedy and flew to France immediately.
Yohan Cohen
“You took a part of me, I have no words to describe my sadness. I am destroyed for all my life. All our futures plans, all we had promised, how am I going to do this without you?” With those heartbreaking words, Sharon Seb said goodbye to her boyfriend Yohan Cohen, 20.
Yohan has been working at the kosher supermarket for the past year and was killed early on in the attack, after the supermarket’s doors closed, his cousin Yonatan told Ynet.
“The police told the family the terrorist threatened to kill a three-year-old boy, and Yohan tried to stop it. He managed to grab the terrorist’s weapon but before Yohan had a chance to shoot him, the terrorist put a bullet in his head and killed him on the spot,” Yonatan said.
“My life was made for you, just for you. I’m speechless, I really cannot comprehend that I lost the love of my life. I can never recover,” girlfriend Sharon Seb wrote on her Facebook page. “You were so healthy, pure, perfect. I do not want to come to terms with the fact I’d lost you. I do not know how I’m going to continue to live without you, I do not know how to stand, how to have the strength to survive without you by my side,” she wrote.
Philippe Braham
Philippe Braham was a father of four, an Observant Jew who attended the Montrouge synagogue, a Parisian suburb.
His children attend the Chabad school in Montrouge. The school is located nearby where the policewoman was shot by the two terrorists before they attacked the Kosher Supermarket.
Philippe was a computers engineer and recently worked as an insurance agent near the supermarket. He went shopping there before the Shabbat when the attack occurred.
Philippe had a son who passed away three years ago.
Francois-Michel Saada
Francois-Michel Saada, who was born in Tunis, was a pension fund manager. He was a father of two, with both his children living in Israel.
“He led his life for the happiness of his family. A husband and an exemplary father,” one of his friends said.
The four hostages killed in the attack on a Paris kosher supermarket on Friday will be laid to rest on Tuesday in the Mount of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem, according to Robert Ejnes, the director of the CRIF, an umbrella organization of French Jewish communities, who is coordinating the transfer of the victims’ bodies to Israel.
Meanwhile in France, a “silent march” against terrorism is planned for Sunday in Paris. Among the expected participants are European leaders including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s David Cameron and Italy’s Matteo Renzi with President Francois Hollande.
Arab League representatives and some Muslim African leaders as well as Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will attend.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will leave for Paris on Sunday to represent Israel in the silent march.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered attending the march as well, but the possibility was rejected over security considerations. He might, however, attend a solidarity event organized by the Jewish community for later in the week.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged a massive turnout on Sunday. Tens of thousands flocked to local vigils on Saturday, with 80,000 in Toulouse and 30,000 in the Riviera city of Nice and a similar number in Pau in the southwest.
Customer tried to snatch terrorist’s weapon
This week’s drama, which played out on live TV and social media, began with the brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi coldly and methodically massacring 12 people Wednesday at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
They fled the scene and eluded police for two days, robbing a gas station and stealing a car. Cherif Kouachi was wounded in the throat by police at one point, the Paris prosecutor said, but the brothers got away. They went on to take a hostage at a printing house in Dammartin-en-Goele near Charles de Gaulle Airport on Friday, prompting a daylong standoff with police.
On Thursday, Amedy Coulibaly shot a policewoman to death south of Paris. He, too, fled. Police later determined he was linked to the Kouachi brothers.
Then on Friday he attacked the Hyper Cacher market at Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris, killing four hostages and threatening more violence unless the police let the Kouachis go.
Marie, a Jewish customer who had been one of the hostages inside the Kosher supermarket, described the first moments of the attack when Amedy Coulibaly arrived at the supermarket.
“He came in wearing a bullet-proof vest. He had two Kalashnikov rifles, a gun and a knife. He shot two people at the entrance. One of the customers tried to take one of his weapons, but was unable to fire. (Coulibaly) shot him in the head immediately,” said Marie. The brave customer is believed to be Yohan Cohen.
Marie, who was interviewed by the BFMTV TV channel, described a horrifying scene inside the supermarket. She said one female victim lay on the ground and died during the wait for police to arrive at the scene.
According to Marie, one of the supermarket workers was able to hide and direct police forces on how to enter the site while another individual was able to flee to an elevator, carrying the keys to the supermarket with him, which he took to the top floor of the market where he left the building using an emergency exit. He was then able to give the keys to police.
Despite the scarring scenes she witnessed, Marie says she will not let the attack frighten her. “I have no intention of staying locked up at home and or being scared,” said Marie after the attack.
It all ended at dusk Friday with near-simultaneous raids at the printing plant and the kosher market in eastern Paris.
what did we ever do to them that they are doing this to us!!
for the younger generation to have gun training.
And what do you think would have happened if one of the Yidden would have had a gun………
MAY HASHEM SEND HIS REVENGE! WHAT KIND OF LUNATICS ARE THEY? WHY ARE THEY KILLING MEN THAT DID NO HARM TO ANYONE? ALL THEY DID WAS GOING SHOPPING!!!
קדושים הם השם יקום דמם.
הקדוש ברוך הוא שלח לנו את משיח צדקנו תכף ומיד ממש.
1) Eem Hashem lo yishmor eer shav shakad shomer. There is really no way to check every store customer, train, bus, etc. . 2) re: “Hero” Muslim employee: if the Muslims who don’t agree with terrorism are in the majority, as they would like the world to believe they are, let them come out in really huge numbers and march at the planned peace rallies holding signs that declare their solidarity with those protesting terrorism. Let them show the terrorists that they, the terrorists, are despised by their own co-religionists and that they unequivocally side with everyone who would live… Read more »
You ask for police protection for 770? How about the schools in the neighborhood? You would leave the Beis Rivka girls unprotected? In any case the police cannot protect every institution and every home. It’s time to obtain a firearm, get proper training, practice regularly, and carry it. The gemara doesn’t say “If someone is coming to kill you, hope the police arrive in time”, it says “If someone is coming to kill you, kill him first.”
Here is some info. Lassala is a muslim who hid about 15 hostages in the chiller and Israel is recognizing him as a hero.
oy this is insane
there are mens only krav maga classes in boro park monday nights and wednesday nights …..
Which 2 Lubavitch bochurim were in the grocery? Id like to hear their story
Who is arranging security for 770?
Thier was a worn in one month ago, and still no change to security of 770.
their must be security similar to entering kotel.
daily mispalilimit and bouchrim, should have a pass that can give them express entry.
evryone else need to pass metel detecter.
unfortunately we live in a time that we can’t gamble our security
LISTEN TO THE VIDEO OF THE SPEECH BY RABBI JONATHAN SACKS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS IN UK RECENTLY, ABOUT THE THREAT OF FUNDAMENTALISM, RADICAL ISLAM, AND THE RISE OF ANTI SEMITISM IN EUROPE AND BEYOND. ….AND WHAT HE PROPOSED TO DEAL WITH IT!
SINCE GIMMEL TAMMUZ THE WORLD HAS GONE TOTALLY CRAZY.
No 5 I agree
FRANCE HAS BECOME A CALIPHATE FOR THEIR 500,000 MUSLIMS. IT IS NO LONGER SAFE FOR JEWS TO LIVE THERE. NOT EVEN NETANYAHU CAN GO THERE FOR THE RALLY!!!!!
Every store should have an exit in the back of the store that people know ahead of. There should be fire drills, just like in schools. Metal detectors or x-ray type security at the entrance of every major grocery store?
It is so sad to see these pictures of the four kedoshim, i can’t bear it. Hashem knows what His doing but we??? are left to mourn these four great people. The choson’s bravery saved the 3 year old. May Hashem never test us again. AD MOSAI
BDH DAVEN FOR MOSHIACH AND THESE NESHOMES
These are the 4 Jewish victims. Perhaps the woman that died was not.
Baruch Dayen Haemet
We need Moshiach now
Under the current circumstances, 770 needs to upgrade security. IMHO, the current police presence is important, but a private security firm (Israeli trained) should be on premises. Armored personal, armed with guns. Nothing less.
marie, a survivor said that” a female victim lay on the floor and died as she waited for police to come.”
who is the female victim? I only see pictures and names of 4 males. BDE
As Mosai???
oyyyy!!!!!