I am in New York and received an update from Rabbi Menachem Kutner just before Shabbos in Eretz Yisroel regarding what Chabad has been doing for the last 24 hours.
Unfortunately, the death toll R”L in the attacks climbed to 8, including 6 civilians, a soldier, and a police officer.
In addition there are many more who were wounded in the shooting attacks on Eged buses, road side bombs against soldiers, and multiple rocket attacks that occurred in the last 24 hours.
Chabad Terror Victims Project opened a situation room for CTVP representatives and Chabad Shluchim in the South to co-ordinate and provide emergency assistance as well as fostering and strengthening the families of the victims.
Rabbi Kutner and other CTVP volunteers have been visiting the bereaved families and various hospitals, and the local Shluchim are offering words of encouragement and support and emotional empathy and love. During these visits, CTVP makes an assessment of the initial needs of the wounded and their families and will be providing them with the emergency assistance that they need. CTVP’s support and assistance will continue for as long as it is needed — whether it is for days, weeks, months, or years- as those affected struggle to reclaim their lives.
One story to illustrate the seemingly small but much needed assistance that is being provided:
Rabbi Kutner told me about something that just happened this morning: He entered the Department of Orthopedics at the Beer Sheva hospital where he met a family from Eilat who were waiting in the waiting room while their son who was shot with two bullets and was in the midst of a surgery trying to save his life. Of course Rabbi Kutner spent time with them trying to give them the love and encouragement that they need during this time.
While Rabbi Kutner was there, an army commander entered the room asking the family what kind of assistance they may need. The family responded that as they live in Eilat and their son is hospitalized in Beer Sheva, they would need transportation back and forth to visit their son. The commander replied that the law only provides assistance for bus fare.
Rabbi Kutner immediately offered the family to pay for a car rental for as long as they need, in order to allow the family this peace of mind so that they can focus on the healing of their son and not have this additional worry to be concerned about.
The mother acknowledged the gesture with tears in her eyes, and expressed her appreciation to CTVP who were able to demonstrate to them that they are not alone and that indeed Am Yisrorel is with her in this time of need.
Over Shabbos, CTVP representatives and local Shluchim will be visiting the hospital with Challa and wine and spending time with the families, hopefully giving them at least a bit of a taste of Shabbos.
The following families are requesting for Shuls, Chabad Houses and people across the world to make a Mi Sheberach for the wounded and to ask Hashem for a quick and complete recovery.
Here are the names of the wounded:
Matan Ben Ilata
Guy ben Rinat
Chagai Ben Rachel
Ronit Ben Sachar
Sagi Ben Channa
Gal Ben Hadassah
Shmuel Zeev Ben Esther
Yitzhak Meir ben Malka
May we share only good news and may we see an end to this Golus now.
Gut Shabbos,
Yossi Swerdlov
what would we do without chabad
Shkoiach!!
-Anonymous#1-