It was a quiet winter morning this month when 42-year-old Eyal Zuckerman returned from shul feeling ill. He was a generally healthy man and had no major reason for concern. He laid down in bed, and asked his 12-year-old son Hillel to bring him a glass of water. The young boy returned to find his father purple and motionless. What began as a regular day began to spiral into chaos. Emergency responders were called, and Eyal’s death was announced. That was the moment everything changed.
Shocked members of the Tzfat community gathered for the levaya.
It would be untrue to say that mother Chana is coping well with the loss. Left behind with 9 children, she has struggled to function with her grief. Her 3-month-old baby has gone to live temporarily with friends, as she flounders to raise and support a large family of grieving children. The kids grieve the way children do: Silence, tears, tantrums, withdrawal. The family’s emergency fund shows a devastating photo of the young mother, her face buried in her hands, in the throes of hysterical tears. It is difficult to look at – but it is imperative that we do not look away.
Those close to the Zuckerman ask that the public please unite to help Chana achieve stability. Funds donated would go toward rent, groceries, clothing, and would allow her space to arrange a job and babysitting, so that life can resume to ‘normal.’ For the Zuckerman family, however, ‘normal’ will never be the same again.
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