Heartbreaking News

To the families of Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel:

All of the Israel mourns with you today.

The three boys were kidnaped on June 12 and a massive search had been conducted for them. Throughout the world, prayer vigils and solidarity rallies were held, as the Jewish world unified in support and in solidarity.

IDF troops found the bodies Monday near the village of Halhul,  just north of Hebron. They were apparently murdered soon after they were kidnapped.

Last week Hamas operatives Amer Abu Aisha and Marwan Kawasmeh were identified as part of the terror cell that kidnaped the boys

 

The latest from Ari Lesser : Bring Back our Boys

Bring Back Our Boys by Ari Lesser





Make some noise to bring back our boys
Cause they're playing with our kids like toys
The Gaza Strip's been giving out tips
On kidnapping people like bartering chips
To twist our arm, insist Israel
Needs to release TERRORISTS from jail
Cause even THEY know that our young men
Are each well worth a thousand of THEM

Still I'm grieving cause I can't believe a
Person would kidnap kids from Yeshiva
Three teenagers all unarmed
Headed home for Shabbat, not doing no harm
They tried to hitchhike on the roadside
But it was Hamas who gave them a ride
So now we're searching far and wide
Just trying to bring back our boys alive
Til they're returned, to show our concern
We will not leave any stone unturned
Look all around until their found
Every inch of ground, let's track them down

Make some noise to bring back our boys
Cause they're playing with our kids like toys
The Gaza Strip's been giving out tips
On kidnapping people like bartering chips
To twist our arm, insist Israel
Needs to release TERRORISTS from jail
Cause even THEY know that our young men
Are each well worth a thousand of THEM

It's a new day but their aim is the same
Using our people like pawns in a game
Abducting our children straight off the street
Just to exchange them like Gilad Shalit
Sad but it's true, for a fellow Jew
If that's what it takes then that's what we do
I hope no terrorist gets released
But I want our boys back home in one piece
So now if you care, please say a prayer
For Naptali Frankel, Gilad Shaer
And Eyal Yifrach, cause somewhere out there
The fate of our boys is up in the air

Make some noise to bring back our boys
Cause they're playing with our kids like toys
The Gaza Strip's been giving out tips
On kidnapping people like bartering chips
To twist our arm, insist Israel
Needs to release TERRORISTS from jail
Cause even THEY know that our young men
Are each well worth a thousand of THEM

Bring Back Our boys: Statement by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz

From the Facebook page of Rabbi Steinsaltz : Statement on the terrorist kidnapping of three boys from Yeshivat Mekor Chaim and Kfar Etzion

The kidnapping of our students is a shocking, painful and frightening event. In a time and place that had seemed to us quiet and serene, we have been thrown into an event that we can do nothing to resolve.

Perhaps we are better off than in past times, when we were totally unable even to attempt rescue and deliverance. We are grateful to the Israel Defense Forces for all their efforts.

Still we, the families, the friends and the teachers of the kidnapped boys are standing with "idle hands" (Ecclesiastes 10:18). All we have left now is to turn to our Father in Heaven and plead. We do not despair because we doubt our Heavenly Father. Rather we feel helpless because, "God is in Heaven and you are upon earth" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

Thus, we can never know the extent our pleas and cries reach Heaven -- and also have some effect here, on earth. What we can do – and this has been the Jewish way from time immemorial – is to add more holiness and learn more Torah. If we can, each of us should take upon ourselves something additional, no matter how small, especially and explicitly devoted for the sake and well-being of the missing boys:

Naftali Frankel (Yaakov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah)
Gilad Shaar (Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim)
Eyal Yifrach (Eyal ben Iris Tesura)

Furthermore, we Jews have always been accustomed to reciting the Psalms, and we certainly ought to do more of this, especially two psalms that seem to me most relevant: Psalms 142 and 143, chapters that literally deal with our plight. We pray also for the safety of those who are working toward their rescue.

May it be God's will that in their merit, and for the merit of their suffering, together with our prayers and good deeds, we shall soon see our boys returned to us, God willing, safe and sound.

Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz