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MERON VICTIMS: 24 Bochurim And Boys, 4 Mir Talmidim, At Least 6 US Citizens, 2 Canadians


The victims of the Meron disaster include at least 24 bochurim and boys, including at least six US citizens.

“We can confirm that multiple U.S. citizens were among the casualties,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said over the weekend.

“The U.S. Embassy is working with local authorities to verify whether any additional U.S. citizens were affected, and is providing all possible consular support to affected U.S. citizens and their loved ones. Out of respect for the families at this difficult time, we have no further comment.”

The victims also include two Canadians, an avreich from Manchester, and a bochur from Argentina. Two families each lost two children. The youngest victim was nine years old.

Habachur Yossi Cohen, z’l, 21, of Cleveland, Ohio was a talmid of the Mir in Yerushalayim.

Yossi Cohen, z’l.

Habachur Dov Steinmetz, z’l, 21, of Montreal Canada, was a talmid of the Mir in Yerushalayim.

Habachur Dov Steinmetz, z’l, 21

Hachasan Menachem Knoblowitz, 22, of Boro Park, was engaged to a girl from Lakewood, New Jersey and was studying at the Mir.

Menachem Knoblowitz, 22, of Boro Park

Reb Moshe Bergman, 24, originally of Manchester, England, was living in Jerusalem and studying at the Mir.

Moshe Bergman, z’l, 24.

Habachur Yosef Amram Tauber, z’l, 19, of Monsey, who was studying at Brisk, had just arrived in Israel for the first time last week. His father, Rav Tzvi Tauber, is a Rav of a shul in Chester, New York.

Habachur Nachman Doniel (Donny) Morris, z’l, 19, of Teaneck had been studying at Yeshivas Shalavim since September. He is a graduate of the Marsha Stern Talmudic Academy in Washington Heights.

Donny Morris, z’l, 19, of Teaneck, New Jersey.

Hayeled Eliezer Yitzchak Koltai, 13, lived in Passaic, New Jersey, before moving to Jerusalem with his family.

Eliezer Tzvi Joseph, 26, of Kiryas Yoel, New York, was the father of four children.

Shraga Gestetner, z’l, 35, a well-known singer from Montreal, Canada, was visiting Israel with his two brothers. He was buried on Friday afternoon on Har Hamenuchos.


Reb Shraga Gestetner, z’l, of Montreal.

Avraham Doniel Ambon, z’l, 21, of Argentina, was a talmid of Yeshivas Heichal Yitzchak in Jerusalem.

Avraham Doniel Ambon, z’l, 21, of Argentina.

Israeli bochurim and children who lost their lives in the disaster include:

Brothers Moshe Natan Neta Englander, z’l, 14, and Yehoshua Englander, z’l, 9, of Jerusalem.

Moshe Natan Neta Englander, z’l,14, and Yehoshua Englander, z’k, 9, of Jerusalem.

Brothers Moshe Mordechai Elhadad, 12, z’l, and Yosef Dovid Elhadad, z’l, 18, of Jerusalem.

Brothers Moshe Mordechai Elhadad, z’l, and Yosef David Elhadad, z’l.

Hayeled Yedidya Moshe Chayut, z’l, 13, of Bnei Brak.

Yedidia Hayut, z’l, 13 of Bnei Brak.

Yedidya’s father was lightly to moderately injured in Meron but was released from the hospital to participate in his son’s levaya. His 10-year-old son was also lightly injured.

Reb Avigdor Chayut. (Channel 12 News screenshot)

Habachur Nachman Kirshbaum, z’l, 15, of Beit Shemesh.

Nachman Kirshbaum, z’l, 15, of Beit Shemesh.

Habachur Moshe Ben Shalom, z’l, 20, of Bnei Brak, a talmid of Yeshivas Ponevezh.

Moshe Ben-Shalom, z’l, 20, of Bnei Brak.

Habochurim Yishai Mualem, z’l, 17, of Rechasim, and his friend Yosef Yehudah Levi, z’l, 17, of Rechasim.

Yishai Mualem, z’l.
Yosef Yehudah Levi, z’l, 17, of Rechasim.

Habachur Yedidya Fogel, 22, of Jerusalem was a talmis of a hesder yeshivah in Ramat Gan.

Yedidya Fogel, 22, of Jerusalem.

Habachur Yosef Mastorov, z’l, 17, of Ramla, a talmid of Yeshiva Rina Shel Torah in Karmiel.

Habachur Moshe Levi, z’l, 14 of Bnei Brak.

Habachur Eliyahu Cohen, z’l, 16, of Beitar Illit.

Habachur Chaim Rock, z’l, 18, of Beit Shemesh, was a talmid of Mir Brachfeld.

Habachur Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz, z’l, 19, of Tzfat was a talmid of Yeshivas Knesses Yechezkel in Elad.

Habachur Yaakov Elchanan Strokovoski, z’l, 20, of Elad was a talmid of Yeshivas Be’er Yisrael in Jerusalem.

Habachur Ariel Achdut, z’l, 21, was a talmid of Yeshivas Yesodot HaTorah in Tel Aviv.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)



8 Responses

  1. Every age. Age “ethnicity.” Every nusach. Every minhag.
    Chasiddim. Misnagdim. Sefardim. Ashkenazim.
    Fathers. Grandfathers. Chassanim. Children. Brothers.
    This is not a single, isolated loss. This is not simply multiple losses.
    This is a loss for the entire Klall Yisroel.
    (See RaMBa”M Taanis 1:1-3 and Aivel 13:12)

  2. No one wants to acknowledge this.
    “According to Rambam (Hil. Taanis 1:1-3), it is a positive commandment of the Torah for every individual to cry out and search his ways at a time of national calamity, for G-d visits calamities upon Israel to inspire each Jew to repent for his misdeeds. If someone fails to recognize that tragedies occur through an act of G-d rather [than] through happenstance, he is considered cruel, because he will not be motivated to improve his behavior. As a result, G-d will beset Israel with more troubles, until all are motivated to change their ways.”

  3. i wonder if the police who blocked the exits will feel bad even for a second, if they are capable of it

  4. BDE
    Genocial Israeli Police.
    Internal Police Investigation?
    They are going to wash it under the carpet as misinformation and will say “these people are Anti Zionist who cares”.
    Watch the videos of how the police treated, treats FRUM human beings.
    Heartless, thoughless, indifferent to human life.
    The verdict must be 1) the police is negligence in death of everyone.
    2) Indictment of the police officers that closed off passageway.
    3) inquiries into who gave the order to close the passage way.
    4) Life time imprisonments of those acted with cruelty and did not immediately open up.

    Do you think that Supreme Court is going to hold the Police Accountable?

    NEVER IN MILLION YEARS.

    They are still denying that they stole Yemenit Kids at Child birth.

  5. What a sorrow.
    Israeli investigation means enough time to WHITE WASH and pretend that they, the police, the government are sorry.
    National day of mourning?
    One minute of silence?

    Who are they kidding?

    We also have to fetch up major league.
    And must ADOPT AHAVAS CHINAM TO ALL JEWS.
    Abselout
    Without preconditions.
    AHAVAS CHINAM.
    Don’t throw stones when you see non religious Jew.
    Smile !!
    Engage in polite conversation !!

    Rasbi was flanked by Hakodosh Baruch Hu for criticizing Jews after he came out of his cave and was told by HaShem to go back until you can tolerate “working Jews”.

  6. This is so so so sad.
    Tragic for the niftorim.
    Excruciatingly painful for the families.
    We cannot reverse waht happened, but we can help them by learning l’ilui nishmasam
    take a masechta of mishnayos for the Sheloshim https://www.lzechernishmas.com/signup.php?id=8588
    or a masechta of gemora for the yahrzeit https://www.lzechernishmas.com/signup.php?id=8589
    Ladies & girls (and men as well) can take a kabollo לעלוי נשמתם.
    Hashem gave us this situation for us to grow from it, to shteig, to come closer to Him.

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