A Week After the Accident: "The Words of the Grieving Father at the Funeral are Our Only Comfort"

Nearly a week has passed since the horrific accident near the Latrun junction, in which Elyashiv and Yedidya Youngerice z''l, residents of the Beit El settlement, were killed, yet the town still palpably feels the mourning in the streets.

Shira Libman, the council's CEO, shares in a conversation with 'Hidabroot' that the residents are supporting the family in their difficult hours, trying to comfort and be comforted, but the pain remains tangible. "This is a family with six children under the age of ten," she details, "Their children attend various institutions, leading many families to know them. After the accident, residents talked to me, saying their kids couldn't believe Elyashiv and Yedidya were gone. They said: 'We just saw them yesterday at the Chanukah party at school, it can't be.'"

"Only Faith Sustains Us"

The tragic accident occurred last Friday, shortly before 2:00 PM. Libman recounts receiving a message from the children's uncle, who also lives in the settlement. "He told me there was a very severe accident involving the car his nephews were in, and that he was on his way to the hospital with the parents of the children, meaning his brother and sister-in-law. A minute later, I got a call from our security officer – Yehuda Dena. He had slightly more information, and we understood that it was a very severe accident, but it was still unclear exactly what had happened. Only after a few minutes did we grasp the magnitude of the disaster upon learning that two had died, but at that stage, it was not yet known who they were."

Accident scene (Photo: Yonatan Sindel / Flash 90)

How do you respond to such a situation?

"As the CEO of the council, it was clear to me that my role was to accompany the family in the field. I went out with our team, which included the community rabbi and psychologist Rina Ido, and we met the grandparents – Avi and Ora Cohen, who are also Beit El residents. As I mentioned, the parents were on their way to the hospital, while the grandparents were collecting the remaining children at home – a five-year-old boy, a girl under three years old, and the tiny baby less than a month old. It was chilling, as this entire trip started from a great act of kindness when the children's uncle took them to his house for Shabbat, to ease the load on the parents who were recovering from childbirth and allow them to rest. Who could have foreseen that the journey would end so tragically?"

Libman notes that at the very moments they joined the grandparents, they learned which of the children had died, and a council representative arrived to inform the family. "These were heart-wrenching moments," she recalls. "It was inspiring to see the response of these precious grandparents – people of extraordinary nobility. There was much crying and pain, but no breakdown. I truly saw eye-to-eye how they reacted with faith, understanding that the children completed their mission in the world and that we cannot comprehend divine calculations. Then they organized to stay with the children over Shabbat because the parents asked to remain with the oldest son – Yair, who was hospitalized. At that time, we also learned that Yair's injuries were less severe than initially thought and that was a good news. On Saturday night, council head Shai Alon also came to the hospital and helped the parents organize for the double funeral."

"The Father Sang: 'The Redeeming Angel'"

"We had a very difficult Shabbat and a complex week filled with mourning," Libman summarizes with deep pain. "The Youngerice family is so beloved and respected in our community, and we all feel like siblings, sharing their pain. The feelings of concern for the tiny baby and the children left at home, alongside the great mourning, the funeral, and the shiva days, continually intertwine within us, making it hard to separate them. Above all, there are the Chanukah candles burning and creating a holiday atmosphere so different from any other year.

"There are no words to express the magnitude of the pain," she adds, "But there is one thing that personally comforts me and gives strength – these are the words of the father – Yaakov Youngerice at the funeral. Yaakov delivered incredibly moving words, full of faith and encouragement. Mainly, it struck me when he noted that we are merely messengers in the world doing our work. He emphasized that his children lived their lives full of joy and love for Hashem and even shared that just on Thursday, the first night of Chanukah, they danced together and were so happy and joyful. Yaakov addressed his children and requested: 'With all the joy that accompanied you in lighting the Chanukah candles, go up and be advocates for us.' He concluded his eulogy by sharing how every night he recited the Shema with the children, and when the little sister, Talia, couldn't sleep, Elyashiv would lull her to sleep by singing 'The Redeeming Angel,' "and then," Libman excitedly recalls, "He himself began to sing and ended the eulogy by singing 'The Redeeming Angel.'"

"If the parents are so strong and filled with faith, we in the community must be the same," the CEO concludes, "This is what I tell the residents who approach me repeatedly, asking how to move forward. I request from them what the Youngerice family also asked – maintain your faith and strength, let us all choose life, for this is what Hashem demands of us."