CAFI Newsletter CAFI #86 - LIVES ON THE BUS OF DEATH

Thu, 6 Jun 2002 16:57:50 -0400

* CHRISTIAN ACTION FOR ISRAEL NEWSLETTER  #86 *
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"ON YOUR WALLS, O JERUSALEM,
I HAVE APPOINTED WATCHMEN"  Isaiah 62:6
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               Thursday, June 6, 2002

This is a special issue. We wanted this to stand alone.
As the old saying goes "Read it and Weep". We did.
Our regular digest issue will follow tomorrow.
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     LIVES ON THE BUS OF DEATH

   "A Palestinian suicide bomber pulled a car
    packed with explosives alongside a moving bus
    and blew it up Wednesday in a huge fireball
    that killed 17 passengers - 13 of them Israeli
    soldiers,"

was how the Associated Press, ever so clinically,
reported the massacre at the Megiddo junction in
Northern Israel, immediately going on to offer some
"analysis" (justification?) of the event.

Below, we offer brief vignettes of the dead's lives.
Among them, individuals who had previously cheated
death, a "second mother" to a Down Syndrome child,
and outright heroes.

How sad, nay, pathetic, that the snuffing out of
human lives has become so frequent, that, in most
of the media, the death of innocents is reduced to
nothing more than another mark in a tally
--- and afterthoughts.

   1. . David Stanislavski, 23, had just spoken to
his fiancé, Victoria, in the Ukraine. Victoria was
so excited that she, too, would make aliyah -- settle
in the Holy Land -- next month, just as David and
his mother had done four years ago. His childhood
sweetheart, Victoria had already made her own wedding
gown for their September wedding. David had enlisted
in the Israel Defense Forces last week. His mother
is now alone, with only a daughter in law that
could have been hers, half a world away.

   2. Adi Dahan, 17, had just ended the 30 day mourning
period (shloshim) for her older brother, Shlomi, 26,
who had died in a mountain hiking accident.

Marcella, Adi and Shlomi's mother, was over 40, when
Adi was born. In fact, the teen was considered to be
a "miracle baby," as doctors were convinced that,
despite her and her husband's efforts, Mrs. Dahan
would be unable to conceive again.

Adi grew and blossomed, and her parents thanked
G-d for their gift.

Adi had been visiting her best friend in Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, she visited her big brother's grave to
complete her last personal Kaddish. Today, she will
be buried next to him and the prayer's words will
once again be intoned.

    3. Liran Avitan, 19, awoke very early at her home
in Hadera. Before boarding the bus to her military base,
where that day she was to complete a course, she made
sure to go shopping and make lunch for her brother,
Moshe, who was born with Down Syndrome.
The teen was the boy's "second mother."

After placing the special child aboard the special
bus, she rushed to catch her own.

Liran was burned beyond recognition. Only dental
records could identify her body.

A Down Syndrome child cried as hard as any other
child. Liran's little brother has been crying
and crying and crying.

    4. Yigal Navipor, 22, was busy between his IDF duty
and his part time job as a waiter in the banquet hall
in Netanya. His father, Roni, was laid off from work
three months ago and Yigal began to work as many
hours as possible to help sustain the family.

On Tuesday, he surprised his family with an unexpected
day off from the IDF.

His intention was to spend his vacation day working
a few hours in order to earn some money to pay off
his parents' outstanding supermarket bill.
Yigal was killed en route back to his base.

    5. Avraham Barzilay, 20, was known as a simple,
quiet young man. He would often engage charitable
work --- but always making sure that the recipient
not know it was his doing. He had just ended a two
day vacation with his family and was returning to
his military base. His father had offered to drive
him back, but Avraham decided not to bother him
and took public transportation.

He had just kissed his parents goodbye before
running off to catch the bus. He was trapped in
the back, and the surviving passengers watched
him burn alive. According to David, a survivor,
Avraham recited the "Shma Yisrael" prayer of
martyrs as the flames engulfed his body.

    6. Zvika Gelbar, 20, had cheated death two months
ago when, on the very same route he would die, a bus
he chose not to take was bombed. Zvika was removed
from frontline active duty by his commander after
suffering trauma in seeing the bus that he missed
go up in flames, as he passed it on the road.

His nightmares of survival from the terror attack
were also causing him many health problems. Zvika
was doing better mentally and had begun to coach a
soccer Little League of 11 year olds in his spare time.

He was traveling to his base after a week of R&R
when the bus was bombed.

Zvika was burned beyond recognition on the bus
that he did not miss yesterday.

    7. SariEl Katz, 21,was a leader in the Macabi youth
movement and an expert in computers and decoding of
secret information. A native of Netanya, he was
able to go to commute to the nearby base daily.
He was blown to pieces.

    8. Sivan Wiener, 19, had just celebrated her birthday
Tuesday night with her sisters and then continued
partying at a disco with her friends. Sivan was
supposed to return to her base on the late night bus,
but her parents asked her not to travel at night,
even by bus, as it was too dangerous.

Her commander approved the later arrival.

A member of the local ballet and dance group, Sivan
was slated to become an officer on Sunday. Her
older brother, David, 33, had just dropped her
off with the usual hug and kiss from his little
sister before she boarded the bus.

She was burned to death.

    9. Vladimir Marri, 19 immigrated from
Moldavia three years ago. He had been home for
a day from the IDF to plan his 20th birthday
party tonight. His sister had gone over all the
details: from who was attending, to what was
to be served.

When his family and friends gather tonight,
the tune in the air will be the dramatic, somber
words of Kaddish, not a joyful rendition of
"Happy Birthday."

    10. Gadi Iskov, 20, was not supposed to be
on the bus he perished in. A friend's mother had
taken ill and he had agreed to return to his base
early to relieve him of his duties.

Gadi, who had immigrated to Israel four years
ago from Ukraine, fought in Jenin during Passover
and was decorated with medals. Yesterday, he was
to be sworn-in as an officer.

When he learned of the bombing, Gadi's father
sped to the site. All he could find was his son's
backpack. He recognized his son's hand by a watch
still attached to it.

    11. Dennis Bluman, 20, immigrated from Ukraine
11 years ago with his family. Three months ago,
Dennis was aboard a bus when a terrorist was
jumped by the passengers. He was one of the heroes.

Since that day, Dennis refused to travel on that
bus line, not wanting to tempt fate. Now he's dead.

    12. Eliran Buskila, 21, was never late. He was
always the first at the bus stop at his base, and at
work, where he was involved with computer
programming. On Wednesday, he was early.
Many years too early.

    13. Zion Agmon, 50, and his son, Yuval, 19,
were traveling together to Tiberias. Zion had a
court date in Tiberias, while his son was returning
to his IDF base near the town. The two decided
o enjoy each other's company.

Zion was killed instantly, while his son was
'only' lightly injured.

Yuval witnessed his father's head being blown off.

Tragedy had struck the family before, when Zion's
niece, Tzippy, was killed six months ago in a
terrorist attack in Hadera.

Zion was always closest to his brother's children.
He was the "Shabbas gabbai" (Sabbath sexton) in
Hadera's synagogue. And he took it upon himself
to fulfill the almost year-long Kaddish rite for
his niece, even though he did not have the obligation.

Now, Yuval, will be reciting Kaddish for his cousin
to honor his father's wishes, and, additionally, for
his father, who just wanted to share a bus ride
with his son.

    14. Dotan Raizel, 21, was the youngest of his
family. The clan were among the "pioneers" in Hadera.
His best friends were killed in another Bus of Terror,
just months ago on the same spot near Megiddo.

Dotan was a volunteer at Israel's Red Cross and
was on leave from the IDF. Next month, his older
brother, Amit, is getting married. Dotan was
supposed to sing under the Chupah canopy.

    15. Vilta Chizgayov, 19, had just finished
her year of mourning for her mother, who was
killed in a car accident. Two years earlier, her
father had died of cancer. She and her sister were
the only survivors of her immediate family, which
had immigrated from the Ukraine to Israel in 1994.

Vita's sister was supposed to have joined her on
the bus trip. She was to have visited friends in
Tiberias, while Vilta was to return to her IDF base.

At the last moment, Vilta's sister had a doctor's
appointment and decided to take a later bus.

Today, Vilta's sister is alone. She is burying her
little sister next to her parents, side by side.

    16. and 17. ... are bodies still being identified
from the pieces of "extra" limbs .

Harvey Tannenbaum - Jewish World Review
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