When the ambulance arrived at Jerusalem’s Bikur Cholim emergency room during the night, medics removed a bloody bruised infant, immediately changing the mood in proximity of the ambulance. The silence that prevails when the shock is simply too great was present, the air became thick, quiet, as police responded to the scene, one that resulted in the death of an infant, by the hands of her own father, a young avreich who lost his temper, taking it out on their baby daughter.
On the one side, senior Jerusalem Police commanders stood and stared, realizing they were standing between a rock and a hard place, as Eida Chareidis askanim began filing in. No one had to utter a word, no one had to say “autopsy”. It was clear that if police were going to call for a post mortem, the streets would be ablaze within minutes.
The crowd became larger as the word spread throughout the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood of the capital, with more and more members of the community heading to Bikur Cholim, perhaps seeking verification of the horrific news.
Perhaps the large crowd, the presence of the askanim from the Eida, and the appearance of the scene of known activists including Kopel Schwartz prompted police to release the small body without demanding an autopsy. Kopel got out of the taxi and immediately sat on the ground, preparing to launch a protest. Police did not waste time, moving in and making two arrests.
After police gave the okay to permit the kvura of the infant, Zaka arrived to tend to the body. The young mother was broken – her world shattered, her baby gone.
Following a heated argument with her husband she left their apartment, and he took out his rage on their 8-month-old daughter.
Shortly after 2:00am, police okayed the kvura, Zaka moved in, and the crowd dispersed.
According to preliminary information amassed by investigators, the young couple had a heated argument and the wife left. Shortly thereafter, neighbors heard screams from the home, crying, prompting them to call police. Police broke down the door of the home, finding the 23-year-old chassidishe father, who tried to attack them in his rage. Ynet reports that it was determined later in the night that he is “mentally unstable”.
Upon the arrival of police, the infant was still alive, albeit exhibiting bruises over her entire body and suffering from respiratory distress and internal bleeding. The infant was rushed to Bikur Cholim Hospital, a few short blocks away, where doctors tried in vain to save her young innocent life.
Sadly, a few dozen members of the community arrived at the hospital and tried to assault police, perhaps fearing an autopsy. For some, police have become the sworn enemy, even in situations such as this, when their intervention was nothing less than an effort to save a child’s life.
Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the infant died of her massive injuries, apparently inflicted by her father. Hashem Yerachem.
The couple is married for two years. The husband is reported in his early 20s, and has a 4-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, who was in the apartment at the time. She was unharmed [physically].
Police report the father takes pharmaceuticals for his mental condition, adding he has been involved in domestic violence in the past.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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32 Responses
Yechiel – what proof do you have that the father murdered his child? Your article only cites circumstantial evidence (i.e. that he has home at the time of the supposed assault and his wife wasn’t) at best, yet you paint the picture of a ruthless, cold blooded murder. I’m not suggesting that your wrong – I’m wondering why you feel your right.
Based on your story alone, there can be 1001 causes of death in this case. Additionally, if the father is indeed mentally impotent, he would halachicly be considered a SHOTA and hence not responsible for his actions.
Baruch Dayan Haeemes! Hashem Yirachem!
He is 23, married for 2 years, and has a 4-year old daughter from a previous marriage??!!
there is nothing to add. terrible tradgedy. so hard to read such a story.
Oy, Father in heaven, send us Mushiach, Klal Yisroel can’t take it anymore!
anger. how much chazal have invested in warning us about its affects. but do we believe the famous quotes from chazal? many times we think getting angry is ok but if we keep feeding the monster what can be expected of us? nothing good thats for sure.
The father’s lawyer, Yaakov Kaminsky, said following the remand hearing: “This was the community members’ failure. He was acting weird yesterday, they sent him to a psychiatric observation, but instead of going he went home. Unfortunately, what happened happened. This incident could not have been anticipated. He has been hospitalized several times, but he is not a violent person.”
According to the family relative, the father who he said was “living on pills,” recently encountered economic hardship. “I spoke to him several days ago and he was just fine, but yesterday he was extremely nervous,” he said. “When I heard about the incident on his street, I immediately understood that it was him.”
How about everyone should keep their “smart” comments to them selves on this one.
This is a story that is so horrible it is enough to want to sit shiva and cry. Nebech!
Horrible and tragic. This story is heartbreaking. I wish we as a klal were zoche to prevent these things from happening.
May those who need a nechama receive it b’karov. BD”E.
Hashem yirachem alayhem v’alaynu!!
What a horrible tragedy. This man should never have been allowed to be alone with his children. I’m not Chas V’Shalom blaming the wife. There should have been a court order or something in effect to protect those children – based on his medical (mental) history! That poor wife – not only did she suffer with abuse from her husband but now with the loss of her precious child.
What’s also sad, is that people showed up to ASSAULT the police.
Mushugenas!!!!!
Go to the “avreich” and gather by him to protest. Go and make his life misrable. Such misguidance. A handful of askonim can quietly handle an autopsy issue- everything has to be a protest and a commotion. Run to the kosel and daven for this little nishama, r”l, instead.
I hope they lock up this sick animal murderer for life.
“Tragedy Strikes”?? Should it not read “Murder Strikes”??
Although I am not a posek, perhaps this case might warrant an autopsy. If the only way to incriminate this avreich is with forensic evidence, then to NOT perform an autopsy might be placing others in grave danger. Especially his 4 year old daughter. And in yeshiva we learned “v’chay bo-hem” which is the hetter to mechalel the shabbos, which is a deh-oraiysa.
If this avreich (who has a history of domestic violence) is let free, and he does further damage, perhaps the blood of the next korbon will be on the “askanim’s” hands, Hashem yerachem.
I wonder which posek was consulted before the askanim staged their protest.
Something seems amiss…
Tragedy strikes…A scene that “resulted” in the death….”Sadly”, a few dozen people “arrived” to…
All linguistic acrobatics created to somehow distance ourselves from the reality.
Wake up! It appears that within the frum community, there exists the capacity for abuse, neglect, and apparently even chilling murder.
When are we going to face up to what is? Or shall we once again cover things up, by rising against our brothers, and crumbling any capacity of returning to what Am Yisroel is meant to be.
Why was the police worried about a Hafgana when they saw the Eida Askonim, I thaught the Eida said violence is prohibited???
Call it for what it is
hashem yerachem
we must be mispallel for them especailly for that 4 yr old & the mother
Doesn’t really matter what happened or how it happened. It is a very sad story and Hashem wanted it to happen. We must feel the mother and the 4 year old’s pain and daven that these things should never happen again. Moshiach Now!!
this should be a wake up call to any poor wives living with physically abusive husbands, to get out quickly seek help. make a phone call (shalom task force 1 888 883 2323) and save your and your children’s lives, physical and emotionally. i recently picked up my 10yr old at his friends house when he got into the car i noticed something wrong, i asked him what was bothering him he said my friends father is crazy, my friend and his brother got into a fight the father came in grabbed my friends brother and began beating him without rachmnous! i asked him what do you call beating?! he said he was punching him in the stomach and back. don’t sweep it under the rug lady’s, it only gets worse get out today
This is ridiculous. Someone has to control the Eida Chareidis. While some of their work is good and necessary, some of it is counter-productive in the extreme.
#1 you’re the SHOTA!
All these comments are making me sick! Why do I need to hear such stories???!! Whoever is the one running this website should realize that he is posting things that should not be known to Klal Yisroel! Yuck!
FROM BHOL
אבא!!! מה אני אשמה?
זו הפעם השנייה שאני שומעת אותך צועק ומתווכח. בהתחלה זה תמיד מתחיל בקולות נמוכים. בשקט. ויכוח לא מעניין. החלטתי להסתובב לצד שני, לקחתי את המוצץ, וניסיתי להירדם.
אבל, אתה ואמא המשכתם להתווכח. פתאום גיליתי שנגמר לי המיץ בבקבוק, ונהייתי מאוד צמאה. אבל שמעתי שבמטבח נהיה שקט, וחשבתי לעצמי שזהו, אני אחזור לישון, צמאה. העיקר לא להפריע לכם, עד שנהיה שקט.
כמעט נרדמתי, ושמעתי את אמא קמה. אתה שוב התחלת לצעוק, ואני לא הבנתי מה קורה, הרי כבר סיימתם לריב, ושוב הוויכוחים האלה?
אני לא מבינה הרבה מילים, אבל שמתי לב שהמילה כסף, נאמרה כל הזמן בוויכוח. אני לא יודעת מה זה כסף, אבל אני יודעת שהמילה הזו גורמת להורים שלי לריב כל הזמן. וגם עכשיו, שניה לפני שאני נרדמת, אני שומעת שוב ושוב את המילה הזו.
שמעתי את הצעקות מתחדשות, והרגשתי שאימא מפחדת. אז התחלתי לבכות. רציתי להגיד לה שאני איתה, ושלא תפחד. רציתי להגיד לה שהכל יהיה בסדר, אז בכיתי קצת.
עמדתי על הגדר, ובכיתי. אמא שמעה את הבכי שלי, וקמה. רק רציתי לתת לה חיבוק, לחזק אותה. לתת לה קצת עידוד. אמא אמרה לאבא שהיא קמה להביא לי בקבוק. אבא אמר לה: תשבי עד שאני אסיים. אל תזוזי. שמעתי את אמא אומרת לו בקול מרוסק: אני רק נותנת לה בקבוק ומוצץ, וחוזרת. אבל אתה צרחת: תשבי, אמרתי לך.
אתה, אבא שלי! שום דבר לא עניין אותך. הכעס השתלט עליך. סרבת בקול רם. והטונים החלו לעלות בבית. אני לא אוהבת את זה. אני מפחדת. וכשאני מפחדת אני תמיד מתחילה לצעוק. אין לי משהו אחר לעשות. רציתי לצאת מהבית ולהשאיר אתכם לבד. אני לא יכולה לשמוע את זה. אני קטנה מדי. רק בת שמונה חודשים.
ואז אמא הגיעה לחדר עם בקבוק, אתה באת אחריה. חשבתי שכבר השלמתם, ואתם מגיעים ביחד לחבק אותי. הושטתי ידיים בהתלהבות לאמא, שתוציא אותה, ותיקח אותי למטבח לשבת יחד איתכם. אבל פתאום ראיתי שאתה עדיין מרוגז. הסתכלת אלי בעיניים כאלו שהיה נראה לי שאתה כבר לא רוצה להיות אבא שלי. היית נראה כועס ומפחיד. ואני צרחתי בהיסטריה. רציתי להרגיש בטוחה. רציתי חיבוק מאמא. כמו כל לילה.
גם אתה רצית חיזוק. הטירוף שהיה לך בעיניים נבע כנראה מחוסר ביטחון עצמי, אבל לא יכלת לקבל חיזוקים מאמא. היא לא הייתה פנויה לזה. והעצבים עלו לך לראש.
אמא הרימה אותי, ונתנה לי חיבוק. עד שפתאום הגעת וחטפת אותי. התחלתי לצרוח. אצל אמא אני רגילה להיות, ואתה עכשיו לקחת אותי בכח, ואני מרגישה לא בטוחה. וקר לי ואני צמאה.
רציתי חיבוק ונשיקה, אבל אתה במקום זה, זרקת אותי למיטה בכוח. אני לא יודעת לדבר. אבא, אתה יודע, אני בת שמונה חודשים. בקושי לומר א-ב-א אני יודעת. אמא התעקשה להרים אותי. אני הבת שלה. אהבת ליבה. ואז כשהיא באה לקחת אותי, אתה התחלת לדחוף אותה החוצה. ניסית להרחיק אותה ממני. ואני התחלתי לצרוח. ואתה, רק התרגזת מזה.
אם הייתי יודעת, הייתי שותקת ומחייכת אליך, רק שתירגע. אני יודעת כמה אהבת את החיוך שלי, כשזחלתי אליך לספה כשישבת בה בצהריים. אבל, אמא הייתה נראית מבוהלת מההתנהגות שלך, וזה גרם לי לבכות יותר.
אני שומעת אתכם, רבים, מתווכחים. אמא באה שוב להרים אותי, ואתה מושך אותי בכוח, אתה יודע אבא זה נורא כאב לי ביד. כבר לא היה לי כוח לבכות. אמא אמרה לך שהיא תרגיע אותי, ואז היא תחזור לסלון.
מה עשית במקום זה? משכת אותי, הנחת אותי, על הרצפה בסלון, והתחלת לצרוח עליה, וגירשת אותה מהבית.
אבא, לא עשיתי לך רע, אני אפילו לא חייבת לך מהדבר הזה שקוראים לזה כסף. אני בקושי יודעת לחייך. אתה זוכר את השן שלי שבקעה, כמה בכיתי בלילה. ואתה היית זה שקם לשים לי משחה על השן שלא יכאב לי.
ועכשיו, אני לא מכירה אותך. סך הכל רציתי קצת פינוק, ואחר כך אחזור לישון, ולא אפריע לכם יותר.
אני שומעת את אמא צועקת מחוץ לבית. איימת עליה שתעשה לה משהו. אבא, אל תכאיב לי אני לא אמורה לסבול. לאן אתה לוקח אותי? החדר שלי בצד השני. לאן אתה לוקח אותי? כואב לי. למה אתה יוצא איתי למרפסת, וצועק שאני תרנגול? אני הילדה שלך… אבא.. די….. אבא….
זהו, יותר אני לא אפריע לך בחיים.
למה עשית לי את זה?
If the father had a mental disorder, it is the responsibility of “others” to make sure that this would not happen. You can only blame a “messed up” person a certain amount. Tragic.
english please
Here’s a translation of #26:
Daddy!! What am I guilty of?
This is the second time I hear you yelling and arguing. At first, it always starts in low voices. Quietly. I do not care so much about arguments. I decided to turn the other way, I took the pacifier, and tried to sleep.
But you mother, you continued to argue. Suddenly I realized I ran out of juice in my bottle, and I became very thirsty. But I heard the sounds that was coming from the kitchen going quiet, and so I thought I’ll sleep, thirsty. (I) Must not disturb you, (i need) to be quiet.
I almost fell asleep, when I heard mother get up. You start to scream again, and I don’t understand what was happening, hadn’t the fight and these arguments are already finished?
I do not understand many words, but I noticed that the word money is said all the time during the argument. I do not know what money is, but I know that word makes my parents fight all the time. And now, a second before I fall asleep, I hear that word over and over.
I heard the scard screams of mommy. So I started to cry. I wanted to tell her I’m with her, and not be afraid. I wanted to tell her everything will be okay, so I cried a little.
I stood on the side and cried. Mother heard my cry, and stood up. I just wanted to give her a hug, to strengthen her. Give her some encouragement. Mommy said to Dadddy that she has to bring me a bottle. Daddy told her: sit until I finish. Do not move. I heard my mother tell him in a broken voice: I just give her a bottle and returns. But you yelled: sit down, I told you.
You, my father! Nothing is important to you. Anger took over you and your tone began to rise. I do not like it. I’m afraid. When I’m afraid I start to scream. I have nothing else to do. I wanted to go out and leave you alone. I can not hear it, but I’m too small. Only eight months.
Then my mother came into the room with a bottle, you come after her. I’ve finished, so I think you are coming together- to hug me. I hold my hands with enthusiasm. Mommy, take me to the kitchen to sit with you. But suddenly I saw you were still upset. You looked at me with eyes that seemed to me like you do not want to be my father. You seem angry and you are frightening. I screamed hysterically. I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to hug my mother. Like every night.
You want to strengthen. The madness in your eyes was probably due to lack of confidence, but you could not you get support from mother. And the sadness went to your head.
Mommy picked me up, gave me a hug. Until suddenly you caught me. I started screaming. I’m supposed to be by Mommy, but you now take me by force, I feel unsafe. And cold and thirsty.
I wanted a hug and kiss, but you instead, threw me hard on the bed. I do not know anything. Daddy, you know, I was eight months. I hardly knew how to say “a-b-b-a”. Mommy insisted on lifting me. I am her daughter. She loves me with all her heart. Then when she came to take me, you started to push her out. You tried to keep her away from me. I began to scream. And you, only you got upset about it.
I knew, if I was silent and smiled to you, you would just relax. I know how you loved my smile, I crawled to the couch with you when you took a rest in the afternoon. But, Mom was frightened at your behavior, and it made me cry more.
I hear you and your many arguments. Mommy came to pick me up again, and you pulled me down, you know Daddy, there’s terrible pain in my hand. I had no strength to cry. Mom told you she was going to calm me, then she will return to the living room.
What did you do instead? You pulled me, lay me on the floor in the living room, and started screaming at her, chasing her away.
Daddy, you did not do bad, I do not even have this thing called money. I hardly know now what it means to smile. You remember when my tooth came through, how I cried at night. And you were the one who rose to put gel on the tooth to make sure it did not hurt me.
Now, I do not know you. All I wanted was a little pampering, then go back to sleep, and not disturb you any more.
I hear my mommy yelling outside. Threatening to do something. Daddy, do not hurt me, I’m not supposed to suffer. Where are you taking me? My room is on the other side? Where are you taking me? It hurts me. Why are you going with me to the porch, yelling? I’m your little girl … Daddy .. Stop ….. Daddy ….
That is all. I will not disturb your life.
Why did you do this to me?
what a tragic and sick story(even if fictitious)can something like this really be happeneing? I hope not. This is the stuff that you usually hear in the N.Y. Post and other tabloids. It is very sad if something like this can actually take place in our community C’has V’shalom. So many mentally unbalanced people,so little time.
OY VAY! HaSh*m Yirachem! The secular tikshoret is having a field day with this story. We, the shomrei mitzvot, are the supposed to be at the head, we are the leaders, we are the example makers. If the head is RAKUV, so it the tail. It is because of incidents like this, like the money laundering, like the selling of body part, etc… all those chillul HaSh*m stories that have been in the news lately, that make the head rakuv. If we are not kedoshim, for sure the secular will not be kedoshim. How can they be when they take example from us? WE NEED TO DOVEN, AND WE NEED TO DOVEN HARD!!!!!!! There are just too many stories, too often, too much chillul HaSh*m.
#22 – By the way, I hope you are not going to ignore what your son has reported to you. Please report the incident to the proper authorities before one of his sons may end up like this 8 month old baby, Chas V’shalom. DON’T wait – people like this do things out of anger that they would never consider doing when they are calm. Ask this young avreich if he regrets his actions.
In response to comment #5
Oy Klal Yisroel. Behave yourselves. Our Father in Heaven can’t take it any more!