When reports about the deaths of the terrorist victims in
Jerusalem were processed, it became clear that many of the
Jews died there with Shema Yisroel on their lips.
Frieda Mendelsohn Hy"d fell to the floor with her
daughter tibodel lechayim tovim ve'arukim beside her,
and together they began to recite Shema, word for word.
Frieda Mendelsohn reached the end of the first parsha,
and with her very last breath uttered the word
"uvishe'orecho," and then returned her pure soul to
its Maker.
Shira Namet, who was injured in the attack and did not lose
consciousness at that horrifying time, relates that the
children of the Schijueschuurder family also cried out Shema
Yisroel during their very last minutes, as they were being
consumed by flames. When Shira woke up after the long
operation she underwent for her injuries, she told her
father what happened after the terrorist activated the bomb.
She recalled that an entire family, had been standing in
front of her on line in the restaurant had been hurt in the
attack.
"After the explosion, the children went up in flames. One of
them screamed, `Abba hatzilu!' The father replied:
`Say Shema Yisroel.'
"Together, all of them recited Shema for a very very long
time. Then, suddenly, there was silence."
In that manner, the victims of the attack, Hashem yikom
domom, join the thousands upon thousands of sacred Jews
who were murdered al kiddush Hashem throughout the
generations by our Nation's enemies, who spilled Jewish
blood like water. Jews leave this world as they cry out
Shema Yisroel, accepting the Heavenly verdict with pure
and complete faith.
A believing Jew knows that there is a reason for his life
and that after his petiroh he goes on to a World which
is only good. Kabolas ol malchus Shomayim at the last
moments of one's life testifies more than anything else to
the eternity of the Jewish Nation and to the fact that,
while its enemies can harm its body, they cannot harm its
soul.
Here are obituaries of some of the kedoshim who were
murdered. These were the ones we were able to obtain.
Reb Mordechai Schijueschuurder, His Wife Tzirel and their
Children: Raaya, Avrohom Yitzchok and Chemda, Hashem Yikom
Domom
Thursday night, a shocked and broken throng accompanied the
five members of the Schijueschuurder family Hy"d who
were murdered in the suicide bombing on Thursday, 21 Av in
Jerusalem.
The Holy Reb Mordecai Rafael Schijueschuurder Hy"d,
son of Reb Yosef zt"l and Sarah tibodel lechayim
tovim ve'arukim, was born in Amsterdam in Sivan 5717
(1957), in a home filled with love of Torah and
chessed. His father was known as one who esteemed
rabbonim and who nullified himself to daas Torah. He
played an active role in the Jewish community of his city
and was a founder and supporter of the kollel and
talmud Torah in Amsterdam, and the chairman of Agudas
Yisroel there for many years. He provided his sons with a
Torah-true education, and hired private melamdim to
teach them. He also hosted many prominent roshei yeshiva in
his home.
As a young man, Reb Mordechai Hy"d, studied in the
Beis Yosef yeshiva in Gateshead, and afterward in the
Ponovezh yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel. He married Tzirel,
Hy"d, the daughter of Reb Yosef Friedman of Netanya,
who was descended from prominent rabbonim in Hungary and
Eretz Yisroel.
After living in Bnei Brak briefly, the family moved to Kfar
Avraham in Petach Tikvah, where Reb Mordechai became very
close with the moro de'asra, HaRav Boruch Shimon
Solomon, who called him one of the arayos
shebechabura. While he lived in Petach Tikva, Reb
Mordechai was a baal korei in the Nachlas Dovid
yeshiva. Torah study was his main occupation and business a
secondary one.
A few years ago he moved to the Talmon Tzafon (Neriah)
settlement. Upon his arrival in the settlement, his helped
establish the kollel, and also devoted his energies to
founding a successful talmud Torah, al taharas
hakodesh. One of the excellent students of that talmud
Torah was his young son, Avrohom Yitzchok Hy"d.
Reb Mordechai was very gifted, and had outstanding powers of
chiddush. He also knew how to gladden others in the
proper manner. His wife, Tzirel Hy"d was involved in
chessed in a discreet manner. After having taught in
the Shmaya school in Bnei Brak for the hard-of-hearing for a
number of years, she transferred to the Shema Koleinu school
for hard-of-hearing children in Jerusalem, where she
excelled in her dedication to each and every student, and
offered counsel and encouragement to parents and teachers.
In addition to her work within the school, she traveled
throughout Europe, at her own expense and without
remuneration, in order to counsel the principals of other
schools and talmudei Torah about the development of
their students.
This past Thursday, Reb Mordechai, his wife, and three of
their children went up to Shomayim in a storm, with Shema
Yisroel on their lips. The children killed in the attack
are 14-year-old Raaya, Hy"d, 4-year-old Avrohom
Yitzchok Hy"d, and 2-year-old Chemda Hy"d.
They are survived by three sons and two daughters who were
injured in the attack, as well as by parents and siblings of
Reb Mordechai and Tzirel who bitterly bemoan the loss of
their beloved ones, and accept the Heavenly verdict with
love.
Frieda Mendelsohn, Hy"d, o"h
On Thursday night 21 Menachem Av a large thong of Jerusalem
residents, led by roshei yeshiva, rabbonim and
dayanim, accompanied Mrs. Frieda Mendelsohn, Hy"d
o"h, on her last earthly journey. The 62 year-old Mrs.
Mendelsohn was murdered by the suicide bomber last Thursday.
Born in 5698 (1938) in the Old City of Jerusalem, Mrs.
Mendelsohn was the daughter of Reb Yitzchok Avrohom and
Zissel. Her parents' home was one of Torah and yiras
Shomayim, and it was there that she acquired her
outstanding traits.
Following Israel's 1948 war, her parents moved to the
Katamon neighborhood. As a young girl, after school she
would engage in various types of work in order to assist
them financially. She married HaRav Shimon Mendelsohn, and
together they built an outstanding Torah home.
Her concern for the needy constituted a special chapter in
her life, and her home was a central address for the
unfortunate and distressed. Every day, she would make
special secret efforts to bring food to the sick and
impoverished. She was known in her neighborhood for her aid
to widows, orphans and the poor.
Her children relate that lately, she would speak with them
about the midas hadin that hovers above us, and the
need to do teshuva. A day prior to her petiroh
she said that she hoped she would merit to lead her
grandchildren to the chuppah. Her sons visited her the
day prior to the attack. On Thursday morning, she went to a
clinic for an arduous and serious medical test.
After the test, she and her daughter set out for a pidyon
haben. Since she he had fasted all morning, as required
by the examination, she stepped into the restaurant for a
drink. Suddenly, the terrifying explosion occurred. She fell
to the floor along with her daughter, who was seated beside
her, and together they began to recite Shema Yisroel.
As she reached the word "uvishe'orecho," she returned
her pure soul to its Maker.
Her levaya on Thursday night was attended by numerous
Jerusalem residents, who were shocked and deeply pained by
the occurrence.
Hespedim were delivered by HaRav Shlomo Zalman Druck
as well as by her sons, HaRav Yonah and HaRav Naftali. The
maspidim spoke about her chessed and dedication
to the Torah-true upbringing of her children. They also
noted her trait of truth, a salient part of her personality.
She is survived by her husband, HaRav Shimon; her sons HaRav
Yonah, a melamed in the Talmud Torah Ohel Torah; HaRav
Naftali, an member of Kollel Chazon Ish; HaRav Tzvi, member
of a kollel in Rechovot; HaRav Chaim Menachem, a
melamed in the Talmudei Torah of Derech Tvuna and
Itri; and two daughters, married, respectively, to HaRav
Yosef Milgrod and HaRav Meir Duvdevani.
She was buried after chatzos in the cemetery on Har
Hamenuchos.
People are requested to daven for the refuah
shleima of her daughter, Miriam Chayah bas Frieda.
Malki Roth, Hy"d o"h, a 15-year-old Australian
"My lovely daughter Malki was born in Melbourne 15 years
ago. Today, here in Jerusalem, she was murdered by a fanatic
who didn't know a thing about her." These were the words of
Arnold Roth, Malki's father, to an Australian newspaper
called The Age in the aftermath of the terrible
tragedy in Jerusalem that took 15 lives and injured more
than 100.
Mr. Roth said that Malki had a loving and caring nature and
was close to her brothers and sisters. Of the children in
the Roth family, four were born in Melbourne. Malki was born
at the Mercy Hospital. She was an award-winning flautist and
youth club leader, she was due to go on a camp last Sunday.
The family is part of the Australian religious community.
Yocheved Shushan, Hy"d, O"h
On Thursday night 21 Av, ten-year-old Yocheved Shushan,
Hy"d o"h, who was killed in the terrorist attack in
the heart of Jerusalem, was brought to her final rest.
Yocheved was born on the fifth of Av, 5751, in a home of
Torah and chessed. She is a great-granddaughter of
HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Abuchatzeira, the Baba Sali,
zt"l, and grew up in a genuine Torah home where she
acquired her good middos.
Yocheved was beloved by her classmates and teachers, always
conceded to her friends and was willing to help others,
without asking anything in return.
She studied in the Beis Yaakov elementary school of Givat
Shaul, where she was excelled in her davening and good
character traits. She was a cheerful, sociable and vivacious
child, who celebrated her tenth birthday only ten days ago
at what was in retrospect a farewell mesiba.
All who knew her noted her unusual refinement and maturity,
and her serious ways. Her family called her, "the sunshine
of the house" and its "light" and finds it difficult to
reconcile themselves to the fact that she is no longer with
them.
Her heart-rending levaya, held in the Sanhedria
beis levayos Thursday night after chatzos, was
attended by many people despite the late hour. The
maspidim aroused those in attendance to increase their
Torah studies.
With the closing of the grave, a very brief span of life
filled with good deeds, ended.
We are asked to daven for the refuah shleima of
her sister, fifteen-year-old Miriam Sarah bas Esther,
tibodel lechayim tovim ve'arukim who was seriously
injured in the attack.
