Full Circle: Saved a Baby in a Terror Attack, Celebrated His Bar Mitzvah with Him

On the morning of Sunday, the 19th of Adar 5762, Israeli media reported the worst: "A powerful explosion was heard last night, shortly after 7:00 PM, on Haim Ozer Street in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Beit Yisrael in the center of Jerusalem." On Motzei Shabbat, powerful explosions shook the houses: A suicide bomber detonated a device on the street, close to a group of civilians. Many residents were outside, most of them newly religious attending a local yeshiva, and about sixty people were injured.

The attack is etched into the blood of Jerusalem. Ten people were killed that night. A trauma for many. And on the sidelines, one picture remained in memory. A skilled photographer captured it, and on Sunday it was splashed on the front page of 'Yediot Ahronot'. ZAKA member Bentsi Oiring is seen standing with an injured baby from the chaos in his hands. The sight amazed Israel and the world, successfully capturing the feeling of death around, the immense fear, the heartbreaking drama, the helplessness of a child whose parents were harmed and who needs their embrace.

On Sunday morning, the 1st of Tammuz 5774, this week, the circle closed: Shimon Yisrael Levy, the little boy from the cover, entered into the yoke of mitzvot with joy graced by Oiring, who has since become a family member. An ending that brings comfort amidst a great disaster. Not every day do rescue personnel see such an optimistic completion of a painful story, and when I ask Oiring about his feelings, he answers: "What does it mean? I felt as if I was bringing my own son into the world of Torah and mitzvot. That's the feeling."

The young groom Shimon Yisrael Levi with his benefactor and savior R' Bentsi Oiring

He is not exaggerating. The father, Oren Levy, agrees with him. More than 12 years ago, Oiring became an integral part of the family - events, celebrations, everything - and this bar mitzvah symbolized the point of victory. A child who has two parents and one loyal rescuer.

Capturing a Child's Soul

In Beit Yisrael, there had been several previous attempted attacks, but they ended without casualties, thanks to Heavenly assistance. One of them, a year earlier, happened exactly in the same place. 'A great miracle happened here' was written on a large sign on the adjacent building. But salvation was forgotten a year later. "It was an indescribable scene," said an eyewitness. "Worse than the scenes at the pedestrian mall. I saw an empty stroller and bodies lying on the floor. One of the injured shouted 'I want them to save my hand'."

At the nearby yeshiva, Shabbat was being observed with various guests, including the Levy couple. Half an hour before the attack, some residents noticed a suspicious person and called the police, but they did not bother to investigate the matter. Oren and his wife stepped onto the street as a horrible explosion shook the area. He, she, and little Shimon were trapped.

Reached the age of mitzvot, B'Hashem

"I was in the middle of Havdalah when I heard the boom," Oiring cannot forget. "From previous experiences, I learned that this sound means an attack. I grabbed the equipment and quickly reached the area." Unwillingly, he was already a veteran of numerous violent incidents, attacks, and car accidents. He is a seasoned volunteer in ZAKA who served as an operations officer and gained extensive experience. "I knew the procedure and knew what I would discover once I arrived." But even eyes accustomed to evil darkened. Bodies, injuries, blood. The scene spoke of a disaster of unprecedented scale.

He did not lose his composure, treated the victims swiftly, and suddenly noticed a helpless infant among the vehicles. "A year or two old. I couldn't afford to hesitate. I picked up the child, quickly put him in an ambulance after quick treatment, and insisted they take him to the hospital as fast as possible. MDA took responsibility for him immediately."

The moment he lifted the baby from the floor and wiped the blood became one of the most memorable of the second intifada, yet he was unaware of it. From reading the updates, he was pleased to see that the unknown child survived, and that was it. Nothing drove him to find out who he was and what his name was.

Father Levy remembers the events from a completely different perspective. He and his family had completed an uplifting Shabbat at the yeshiva and were heading back home. They exited the door, and then consciousness was cut off. The next time memory returned to him, he was in an ambulance taking him to the hospital. Another ambulance took his wife, and a third took his son. In the hospital, he couldn't find out what happened to his loved ones. "Those were difficult moments. Reports of the dead and empty strollers flooded in from all sides. I didn't know what to think. Soon, the hospital connected me with my wife, yet we still didn't know what was happening with the child."

The moving image from 13 years ago

The reason: while Levy and his wife arrived at Shaare Zedek, baby Shimon was sent to Hadassah Ein Kerem. Hours of anxiety and worry passed for the injured parents. Eventually, they reunited and rejoiced in the life they received anew. Several months later, Levy was blessed with a daughter. The family was well.

When did you realize that Oiring treated Shimon?

"Already the next morning when I saw the picture that the whole country talked about. We were so grateful to Hashem and happy about the miracle. I didn't know him, but since then I knew who he was."

Breathing the Crying Past

'The savior', they call him, and they are not exaggerating. "If I hadn't arrived in those thirty seconds, a disaster would have occurred," says Oiring.

Right after, he returned to his many duties, and a year passed before he met the family for the first time. "I attended a celebration. A man approached me, pulled a picture of me from his pocket, and asked if I was Bentsi Oiring. I confirmed, and he said: 'Do you see the boy in the picture? That's my son, and it's because of you that he is alive today.' I was very moved."

Has something like this happened to you before?

"Here and there, I've met people I helped with car accident treatments, for example, but like this? Certainly not."

From here, a wonderful friendship flourished. The Levis insisted on getting to know their benefactor, and the families drew closer and maintained a good relationship. Especially between Oiring and the growing child. "I participate in all the family's events, and vice versa. We are close in every aspect."

The relationship strengthened, and this week it reached its peak: "It takes you back 13 years. I try to reconstruct what happened, from the explosion until I pulled Shimon out of the flames, and I feel he is a part of me. It's a very emotional day. Not every time do we only deal with bereavement and bodies."

Featured in front-page headlines

Throughout the entire Bar Mitzvah and the day after, he walked around joyfully. "I must tell you the truth, the parents invited me, but in many ways, I felt that I too belonged to this celebration. After all these years, memories float and rise, and what you see before your eyes is a baby in a bloodied arena. If you don't save him within minutes, Hashem have mercy. I can tell you with certainty: I'm blessed to have merited this."

"It's hard to describe the great joy," says Levy. "When we invited Bentsi to the celebration, beyond being like an uncle, we felt this time it was as much his joy as it was ours and Shimon's. He was a primary consort. We are so grateful for what he did, and it opened the heart and turned us into close friends and beloved companions."

The Bar Mitzvah made headlines, and many from rescue organizations came to wish mazal tov to the parents, the boy, and Oiring. They felt a deep connection. Who better than them knows what it is to form a bond in difficult times and understands the magnitude of the miracle. "It's a completely complex experience," explains Eli, a ZAKA volunteer and rescuer. "Even if you are used to arriving at the scene of an accident or an attack, seeing bodies all around, hearing the cries of the injured, and the shock of the traumatized — it's still a significant shock for a rescue worker, who must act quickly and efficiently. Everything depends on them. Many times, we return home from such nights shocked and unable to utter a word for hours. Sometimes for days.

"Bentsi had a happy ending. Of course, there were many who weren't saved, and severely injured, and bad memories — and he will never forget them. They exist in consciousness and return to the mind repeatedly. On the other hand, when he thinks of this attack, he knows a small child breathed again thanks to him. Every rescue worker feels that little Shimon is his protégé because that's exactly why we volunteer day and night. To see these miracles, these successes. For one such instance, it's worth jumping out of bed and off the Shabbat table at every call. Just for the one time a baby will need you, and you're the one who grants him life."

Bar Mitzvah celebration. A son to two parents and a rescuer

Ephraim, another volunteer, wants to say a good word to the family too: "We must appreciate and respect what it did here. After all, you can ignore, and there are many survivors who want to move forward, to forget. Many people are dragged back by those difficult moments, and it is entirely natural. We are not here to take credit or receive flowers. Our flowers come from the Almighty Himself. But a family like this that knows how to understand the significant role that their child's life has in the life of the rescuer and lets him become a part of it? May there be more like them in Israel."

Oren, they say thank you.

"Really? To us? Bentsi handed us our son's life with Hashem's help. However much I thank and tell will not reach a point in the sea of gratitude we feel towards him. He is our personal messiah."

Seeing the Creator Across the Street

Oiring, on the other hand, downplays the credit. "It's true that I was with Shimon in those critical minutes, but let's not exaggerate. The Holy One, blessed be He, saved him, not me. Many emissaries exist, and I was merely one of them. I'm grateful for this merit, but the praise should be directed to the Creator of the Universe." Between the lines, the great love he has for the Levy family and the boy who grew up emerges again. "I wish him to become a Torah scholar full of chasidus. He already brings pride to his parents and family, and I'm sure he will continue so."

I ask Levy and Oiring to address another issue. You once led your lives privately, and now you are famous, I say. Pictures from the Bar Mitzvah appeared in the media, and many people recognize you.

A visible miracle. The Bar Mitzvah groom expresses gratitude

Oiring is slightly more accustomed to the situation. "Publicity is an inseparable part," he sighs. "We don't want it, and it appears without asking. You learn to live with it and not let it interfere with the actual work." Levy struggles: "It causes mental fatigue. After all, suddenly a deluge of phone calls and interest, questions, and probing into details. It is not easy nor pleasant. On the other hand, we must see the great sanctification of Hashem that has been created and the story of the great salvation and find comfort in them.

"This morning someone showed me a piece from 'Yediot' that brings the famous picture and connects it to the Bar Mitzvah. The newspaper reporter spoke with me for a few minutes, and I explained about the essence of the miracle, Hashem's kindness, and the great thanks — and here it appears black on white in a secular venue. If the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, reached such a place, the person told me it is worth suffering a little. I agree with him. This is a sanctification of Hashem's name and its distribution in the world."

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