I think about that sweet little baby, about the trauma and loss to the surviving children, that the family will be getting up from shiva right before Purim. What kind of Purim will it be for them I wonder.
I am also heartened by the outpouring of support and prayers. I have gotten so many emails and facebook invitations- to donate money, to do an extra mitzvah in the Fogel's merit, to add light to the darkness, like we Jews always do.
Because that is the truth. As a nation we are unbelievably strong and united and somehow we find a way to get up again and carry on. I wanted to share something I got in an email today. The author of this article was at the funeral on Sunday and was sharing his or her thoughts. I do not know who wrote this but am hoping he or she would want their words circulated widely.
I went to a funeral today.
I have been at many funerals before.
Some funerals for people who lived long lives.
Some for people that died too young from sickness.
Some even for soldiers that died serving their country.
All of these people I knew
The funeral I went to today was different.
Today I went to the funeral of people that I had never met or even heard of.
Today I went to a funeral that was really five funerals.
Today I went to a funeral of an infant, her young brothers and their
parents.
I had not been at such a funeral for years.
It brought back memories of other funerals I had been at before- the Chatuel
family funeral, the Shabu family funeral, the Gavish family funeral and many
other funerals of people and families that I didn't know.
In my 32 years I think I have been at over 200 funerals. This surpasses the
number of weddings, brits and bar\bat mitzvahs I have been at.
Have you ever been at a funeral of someone you had never met or heard of? Is
it normal to be at a funeral of five members of the same family? Or at a
funeral of a baby that had her throat slit?
If you are Jewish and live in Israel chances are that you probably have been
at such a funeral.
......
I went to a funeral today.
A funeral I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies. Not even on the enemies that
perpetuated this monstrosity. That is the difference between us and them.
This difference is why we can not win by force even though we are much
stronger.
I wish the Fogel family had remained unknown to me.
I wish that they were still alive and their funerals would be in the very
distant future.
I don't want to attend any more funerals.
In the spirit of adding light and simcha to the darkness, I also wanted to share a picture of my beautiful children, getting excited for Purim
beautiful your children are I think this was taken at the Chabad FRiendship circle What wonderful things Chabad doesThanks for sharing the Poem someone wrote about the levayas There are very special people in the world Today I read about someone who owns a supermarket In israel who is bringing food each day during shiva to the family and promised to do this until the last orphan turns 18
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