Avreich Aharon Bennett (Benita) HY”D and Rav Nechemia Lavie HY”D were murdered at Shar Shechem during Chol Hamoed Sukkos. Bennett’s wife Adele and his son Natan were wounded in the attack. On Monday, 22 Iyar, Natan had his chalaka (upsherin) in an emotional family event which was also a Seudas Hodayah to HKBH for sparing them.

The event was held in the Aluma Hall in Yerushalayim. Among the guests were Jerusalem Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita, Tzfat Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita, and Kosel Rav Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz Shlita.

Adele use the forum to speak of the attack and the most difficult months that followed. She admitted her joy is accompanied by a great deal of pain. She began explaining what her life has been like since the attack and her memories from life before that fatal moment.

Mrs. Miriam Gal, Adele’s mother, spoke of the trauma and day-to-day challenges of having to deal with the family with Aharon. She explains Natan is still in therapy and “we will only know if it succeeded when he is 20”.

Mrs. Gal added “this is not the closure of a circle for we are still in the circle, the journey. We are simply continuing as best as we can with the pain and the memories. He (Natan) cries a great deal for he misses his father. Natan’s tears are with us all day every day. We try to hug him a great deal every day, hundreds of times a day and suddenly there is additional energy and we continue. When he asked I simply explain Abba is in Shomayim”.

Michael Benita, Aharon’s father spoke of his memories and how much his son is missed. “However, we are happy and today is a simcha and we know he is in a good place, a place of tzaddikim”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)