Rabbi Survives Terrorist Attack: "I Had Headphones On, Did Not Hear the Screams"

"If the Temple were standing, I would have offered a thanksgiving offering," Yosef Kornfeld tells me with immense emotion in a conversation we have the day after the attack at Gush Junction, where his life was spared.

His voice trembles as he recalls: "It was this week, on Sunday morning. I prayed the Vatikin prayer in the settlement of Alon Shvut, and afterwards, I walked to the station at Gush Junction, where I waited for a bus to take me to Jerusalem, on my way to Yeshivat Derech Hashem, where I study and teach."

Kornfeld notes that this has been his daily routine for some time. "I live in the settlement of Bat Ayin, but because of COVID-19 there are still no Vatikin minyans near my home, so every morning I come to Alon Shvut and from there continue to Jerusalem."

On that day as well, he planned to continue his regular routine, unaware that his plans were about to take a frightening turn.

The scene of the attempted attack (Photo: Gershon Ellinson, Flash 90)

"Suddenly, the Terrorist Pounced"

"It's important to note for those who don't know that the station at Gush Junction is one of the most secured places in the country," Kornfeld clarifies. "There are always alert soldiers stationed who stop every vehicle that seems suspicious, check, and secure the area constantly, throughout the day and night."

"This time, too, when I stood at the station, there were two soldiers present. Just as I arrived, a vehicle approached, and they asked the driver to pull aside. I didn't understand what raised their suspicion, but I noticed they were giving it special attention, checking it meticulously, probably because it was unusual."

Kornfeld notes that he doesn't know if there's a connection between the suspicious vehicle and what happened moments later. "It felt like a dream," he describes. "Suddenly, I saw a person trying to run towards me, carrying a stick with something that looked like a rag and three knives. He was very close to me, waving the knives. Only the soldier separated us."

What went through your mind at that moment?

"At that moment, I didn't understand at all that an attack was happening in front of my eyes. I had headphones on, as I was listening to a lesson on the Daf Yomi, so I didn't even hear the screams. What I did see was the soldier charging the terrorist, shooting him, and he fell. Then I learned that he died from his wounds."

Kornfeld notes that only then, when the terrorist was on the road and ambulances and police cars arrived from everywhere, did he start to process what had happened and understand that his life was saved. "Still," he says, "I hadn't yet grasped the magnitude of the miracle, and I remember my only concern at those moments was the thought of how I would reach the yeshiva since all the roads were closed. Very quickly, I realized my family was probably worried for me, and I hurried to contact them. Only then, when I heard everyone's reactions, did I begin to process what had happened and realize that Hashem protected me, and I experienced a true miracle."

Did the thought cross your mind about why you merited such a miracle?

"Yes, it’s a thought that naturally occurs to you. Of course, I have no answer for it, perhaps it’s related to the fact that I am committed to listening to the Daf Yomi lesson, and even during the attack, I was in the middle of listening to a lesson."

Did you recite the blessing of Hagomel?

"Certainly. That same day when I arrived at the yeshiva, I stood up to recite the blessing of Hagomel. Later, I also managed to give a lesson to the students. I tried to maintain a regular day routine, but of course, nothing in my life will ever be normal again. Nothing is taken for granted, I learned to be grateful for every breath."