* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
“We do not know what the holy souls who fell since October 7th are doing up there,” Yisrael Fenigstein told me. His grandson, Maoz Fenigstein a resident of Susya, fell in battle in Gaza.
Approaching Memorial Day, I heard from many grieving families who had the feeling that more than 1,800 precious souls of those who fell since October 7th are here in a certain sense. They are sending us messages and girding us with strength. Yisrael sent me the following story:
“When Maoz was a child, his parents, Elad and Tzurit, were on a shlichut (mission) to Montreal, Canada. Maoz studied at the Hebrew Academy day school with Benji Friedman and Eliana Rohr, who lived in Montreal, but they did not keep in touch later on. Years passed. After Maoz was killed, Eliana turned to the school’s WhatsApp group and suggested that they do something to memorialize him. She began to collect money to publish copies of Mesilat Yesharim, the classic work authored by Moshe Chaim Luzzato, which is full of ancient and holy wisdom.
Eliana wrote that the books would be donated to the Hebrew Academy and to other places so that as many people as possible would study for the merit and commemoration of Maoz. After the books were published, Benji wrote that he was coming to Israel with a group of volunteers to bring a copy of the book to the Maoz family so they could see what was done in his memory.
The wedding of Eliana and Benji was recently held in Canada. Rabbi Zolly Claman, who married the young couple, said on that occasion: “The soul of Maoz connects you. He was your matchmaker. The two of you studied together for 12 years but barely ever spoke. And now you are connected because of your shared connection to this Jewish hero and your mutual love for Torah. But this is not just the personal story of Benji and Eliana. All of us are part of it.”
Benji and Eliana are 26 years old, she will soon finish medical school, and then they will make Aliyah. And now as I am writing these words it has just been announced that Odaya, the widow of Maoz, is engaged. We truly do not know what all those holy souls are doing up above.
