A special memorial service was held for the fallen soldiers of Bnei Brak. Senior municipality members and hundreds of Bnei Brak residents participated. Cantor Chaim Elazar Hershtik lifted his voice chanting the ‘Kel Maleh Rachamim”-G-d Full of Compassion memorial prayer and the names of those soldiers who fell in battle were read to the public afterward.
Rabbi Hanoch Zeivert, the Mayor of Bnei Brak spoke in honor of their memory to uplift their souls. “As much as we’d want to, we can’t truly feel the pain of a father or mother, wife, son or daughter, brother or sister of someone dear to them that they lost”, he said. He quoted the verse in Shemini: “And Moses said to Aaron this is what G-d said with those close to me I will be sanctified and I will be honored by the rest of the nation. And Aaron was silent.”
“For there are those that through their merit; their bodies, souls and their sacrifice we sit here in this land. G-d says, “With those close to me I will be sanctified”. Those bereaved family members are similar to Aaron being silent. They accepted the judgment with love.”
The Mayor eulogized the fallen soldiers with emotional words saying that the nation of Israel owes its existence to these soldiers. “We don’t know G-d’s calculations but we know of the great sacrifice of these holy soldiers whose aim was to protect on the land and it inhabitants, to protect us and all those living in the land and we all owe them our security and existence with the help of G-d. We will always remember them forever.”
