On Thursday afternoon, 8 Tishrei, family and friends will mark the 11th yahrzeit of the Kadosh, Rabbi Hillel Eliyahu Lieberman, 36, HY”D. His bullet-ridden body was discovered at the southern entrance to Shechem on Shabbos Tshuva.
Rabbi Lieberman was born to Zevulun and Bracha Lieberman and was raised in the United States. At the age of 20 he moved to Eretz Yisrael, finding his home in Elon Moreh, close to Kever Yosef HaTzaddik. All who knew the rav understood his special connection to Yosef HaTzaddik, a place he visited frequently.On Shabbos Tshuva in 2000, Rabbi Lieberman was heading to Kever Yosef after hearing the IDF had abandoned the holy site, fearing for the future of the tziyun. It was on his way to the site when he was murdered by Arab terrorists.
The memorial will take place at 15:30 at his kever in Yishuv Yitzhar. At 16:20, an additional gathering will be held in Beis Medrash Heichal Hillel Eliyahu in Yeshivat Ohd Yosef Chai in Yitzhar. The rav of the community, Rabbi David Dudkovitz will address the tzibur.
(The decision to bury him in Yitzhar was his, instructing family and friends that if such a occurrence were to become reality, he wished to be interred alongside terror victims Shlomo Liebman and Harel Bin-Nun, who were murdered in 1998.)
Rabbi Lieberman was survived by his wife and seven children, who at the time were 8-months to 13-years-old.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
I remember Reb Hillel HY”D. I had visited Kever Yosef one Thursday night of Shovavim in the early to mid nineties and I believe that it was Reb Hillel that was at the Kever. We got into a conversation and he gave me his phone numer with an offer to give me a complete tour of Har Grizim and the Mizbeach of Yehoshua, whenever I would like. Also, I remember hearing at the time that he was heading to Kever yosef to save the Sifrei Torah, is that not correct?
From the Sukkos right after this happened and for several years following (until it fell apart) we had a poster with his picture and story that hung in our sukkah.
Eventhough the poster is gone, I always remember it and him and his mesiras nefesh at this time of year.
May HaSh-m bring Mashiach soon and may He avenge the holy blood of this tzadik.