As YWN has reported, there are tragically 45 Niftarim from the Meron disaster. Many of the Niftarim have not yet been identified by authorities.
All Nifatrim were brought to The Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv, where family members have gathered to assist authorities.
Israelis were encouraged not to publicize information about the victims on social media until the families receive official word on the fate of their relatives.
The following is the latest list as of 11:17AM ET:
- R’ Shragi Gestetner Z”L of Monsey. He is survived by his wife and 6 children.
- R’ Eliezer Tzvi Joseph Z”L from Kiryas Joel.
- Habachur Yosef Amram Tauber Z”L from Monsey. He was a talmid in Yeshivas Brisk.
- Habachur Menachem Knoblowitz Z”L (22) of Boro Park. He was a Chosson to a girl from Lakewood.
- R’ Eliezer Goldberg Z”L from Beitar Ilit.
- R’ Dovid Kraus Z”L (33) of Beit Shemesh. He is survived by his wife and nine children. He was a Toldos Aharon Chossid.
- R’ Yisrael Alnakvah Z”L (24) of Beit Shemesh. He is survived by his wife and two children.
- R’ Chanoch Solod Z”L (52) from Ashdod.
- R’ Simcha Bunim Diskind Z”L (23) from Beit Shemesh.
- Habachur Eliyahu Cohen Z”L (16) from Beitar Ilit, a talmid of Yeshivas Heichal Avraham in Beitar.
- Habachur Chaim Rock Z”L from Beit Shemesh, a talmid of Yeshivas Mir-Brachfeld.
- Habochur Moshe ben Shalom of Bnei Brak, a Talmid at Yeshivas Ponavezh.
- Habochur Yedidya Fogel, a Talmid at Yeshivas Hatziyonit Hadatit.
- R’ Menachem Asher Zeckbach Z”L (24) from Kiryat Sefer.
- R’ Yehuda Leib Rubin Z”L (27), from Beit Shemesh.
- R’ Yonoson Chevroni Z”L, of Givat Shmuel.
- Habachur Yosef Dovid Elhadad Z”L, Talmid Yeshiva Amalah Shel Torah, Yerushalayim.
- R’ Yehudah Leib Rubin Z”L Ramah 1ג.
- R’ Elazar Gefner Z”L.
- Habachur Nachman Kirshenbaum Z”L of Beit Shemesh.
- R’ Chaim Ozer Seler Z”L (24) of Nevei Yaakov, Yerushalayim.
- Habachur Moshe Levy Z”L (14) of Kiryat Herzog, Talmid of Talmud Torah Imrei Dovid.
- Habachur Dov Steinmetz Z”L Montreal, Canada, Talmid of Mir Yerushalayim.
- Habachur Yaakov Elchanan Strakovsky, z”l, 20 years odl, Yeshiva Be’er Yisrael.
- Habachur Yosef Mastorov Z”L (26) Talid Yeshiva Rinah Shel Torah, Carmiel.
- Habachur Nachman Doniel (“Donny”) Morris Z”L (19) Teaneck, N.J., Talmid of Yeshivat Sha’alvim.
- R’ Shimon Matlon Z”L (37), a Rebbe in Talmud Torah Chanichei Hayeshivos.
- R’ Eliezer Mordechai Goldberg Z”L (37), of Beitar Illit. He was a Rebbein Talmud Torah Aderes Eliyahu.
- R’ Shmuel Tzvi Kalgsbard Z”L (43) of Beitar. he was a Rosh Kollel in Rachmastrivka and a Magid Shiur in Yeshivas Meor Einayim.
- BROTHERS: Moshe Nosson Nota Englard Z”L (14) and his brother Yehoshua Englard Z”L (9), of Yerushalayim.
- BROTHERS: Moshe Mordechai Elchad-Sharf Z”L (12) and his brother Yosef Dovid Z”L (18). They live in Yerushalayim.
- Habochur Yosef Yehuda Levi Z”L (17) of Rechasim.
- Habochur Yishai Me’ulam Z”L (17).
- Habochur Avrohom Daniel Ambon Z”L (21) of Argentinia. Talmid Yeshivas Heichal Yitzchak.
- Habochur Elazar Yitzchak (“Azi”) Koltai Z”L (13). He lived in Yerushalayim, formerly of Passaic, NJ.
- R’ Ariel Tzadik Z”L (56) Lived in Beit Vegan, Yerushalayim.
- R’ Yosef Greenbaum Z”L (22). He lived in Haifa.
- Habochur Yedidyia Chiyuis Z”L.
- Habochur Yossi Kohen Z”L. (21) He was from Cleveland, and was a Talmid at Mir Yerushalayim.
- Habochur Elkanah Shila Z”L (28) of Yerushalayim.
- Tzadik Mordcha Yoel ben Avrum Yakovm Mordechai Fekete Z”L at the young age of 23. (the niftar leaves behind a wife and 2 children, an emergency Chesed Fund campaign was launched, click here to donate)
A Message From The Chesed Fund
We all watched, horrified, as the Meron Tragedy unfolded, and continued to unfold, an unparalleled disaster at a time of great joy.
As Yidden, we are always drawn to do something, anything, to help out in times of need, and yet all we could do is look on helplessly.
Although nothing we can do can bring back the lives that were lost, we may seek some consolation in knowing that we have at least assisted the families financially; removing one less worry from their minds and letting them know that klal yisroel stands together during this difficult time.
May we hear only good news, and may these moments serve as inspiration for unity and achdus for Klal Yisrael.
Avi Kehat
Founder, The Chesed Fund
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
14 Responses
As we all mourn let us all find strength in the memory of these fine men.
(Copied from Town Of Ramapo Community Public group on Facebook)
This footnote from the Artscroll Sefer Yehoshua, Perek 7, pasuk 6, says it best:
“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.”
I feel like a piece of me is missibg
What message is Hashem trying to tell us?
shevy626: Ha-Shem is telling you not to ask questions.
@Shevy626
There are 45 days of mourning during Sefiras Omer, not counting Lag B’omer and the Shloshes Yemei hagbalah. 45 Niftarim. One for each day of mourning over the Talmidim of Rebbi Akiva.
Shevy626: Are we Hashem, that we can always understand His ways? This is an unspeakable tragedy. So many young bochurim, teenagers, children. All we can do now is what we did after the Shoah – have bitochan that the ways of Hashem are just, do whatever tshuva we can, continue on in Yiddishkeit and wish that these niftarim should be melitzei yosher for all of us. BDE.
@Shevy626 – 45 korbanot ! Number 45 in gematriya is אדם- לב אחד- גאולה
Which means that each one of us need to unite in one heart and then zochim le geulah BB-Amen
Please, please change the word stampede.
It was not a stampede.
There is no question that this was an avoidable tragedy, but please don’t make it worse by calling it a stampede, which it was not.
The term “stampede” in the headline is incorrect. Please don’t use that term. It suggests that people actively trampled others, chas v’chalilah, which is not what happened. They nebach fell, r”l.
IT WAS NOT A STAMPEDE.
Not one eyewitness testimony from the site of the tragedy describes it as such.
By saying that, you are placing the blame on the victims.
Eyewitnesses have clearly stated what caused it, and it WAS NOT the public.
@shevy626 – Great question, and as in ALL great questions (and even the less than great questions) the answer can be found in the Torah. The RaMBa”M writes in Hilchos Taanis (1:1-3) that the response to tzaros is to cry out to HaShem. He writes that za’aka is one of the ways of teshuvah and is itself effective to remove the tzarah! He does NOT mention that one should be mi’fashpeish b’maasav. It seems (to me) that the message (see the words of the RaMBa”M) is one must NOT see the tzaros as the result of mikreh or any natural – physical, political, etc. – happenning. Doing that, he explains, brings only more tzaros R”L. Crying out to the Ribono shel Olam expresses just the oposite.
Another RaMBa”M – Chapter 13 of Hillchos Aveil, Halachah 12: When one of our community passes, the entire chaburah must worry. Here too he does not mention to check ones deeds as he does earlier when it comes to a regular aveil. By leaving it out it appears (once again, to me) that he is saying that we cannot know WHY these happen to someone else. HaShem gives the individual the ability to know how we can correct our behavior, but we can NEVER know enough to know what someone else needs to do. But we CAN worry; Worry for ourselves (see Rashi, Shabbos 106a) and for them. Cry out. Be sensitive. Be nosei b’ohl. Remember HaShem is running everything.
I hope this has been helpful.
Note to editors: Can you please stop calling it a stampede. It was not. Baruch haDayan haEmet
To Tnewman, toda raba for sharing such beautiful and inspiring dvrei Torah.
This list has 43 people. who were the other two?