Choose Life

It is Thursday night, at the end of a full week of studies, community service and matriculation exams. The boys just want to head home for Shabbat, to be with their parents, their siblings, their friends, in their own beds. It is still a few hours away, but home beckons when a passing motorist stops to offer them a ride home. Instead, it becomes everyone’s worst nightmare….

“…Therefore, choose life…”.

Naftali Frenkel, Gil’ad Shaar along with Eyal Ifrach were abducted and killed while trying to get a ride home from the Alon Shvut intersection. These difficult times were experienced especially by us at Mekor Chaim, by all of Israel and by our friends worldwide.

June 12, 2014. 10:15 pm

Many have asked us, “What can we do?”.

With the encouragement of the Ministry of Education and local authorities, we have decided to “Choose Life” – by transforming our deep, communal grief into a beacon of hope for the future. Our goal is to actualize a long standing vision of building a permanent campus for Makor Chaim.

An educational campus in memory of Naftali, Gil’aad and Eyal is driving our commitment to transform this tragedy into a moment of strength in Israel.

 

What can we do to help?

Supporting our vision to Choose Life and securing a bright future for future Makor Chaim students.

Dedication opportunities are too numerous to list comprehensively, but the following examples can serve as illustrations for your consideration.

From Racheli Fraenkel’s eulogy on her son Naftali:

Our beloved Naftali,
Charming, happy, cynical boy; a boy who knows prayer; a sophisticated boy; a boy who is innocent…you taught your fingers to play, upright and handsome, you prepared for many more good years.
It turns out that you played the role of your life in this spectacular display. Eighteen days of a whirlwind of love, of involvement, of Israeliness and Jewishness, of deep, strong, purifying humanity.
We hoped that you would have many more years in this world.
To the beloved Mekor Chaim family – we wanted so much to be with you for another year…
Because there is a special place for boys who know Torah and who know song; who taught their lips to bless and to pray…
Rest in peace, my child,
We will learn to sing without you, we will always, always, always hear your second voice inside us.

From the eulogy of Nitai Mass, Gil-Ad Shaer’s counselor in Mekor Chaim Yeshiva:
Gil-Ad,
I love you so much; I miss you so much, your smile, your lively spirit, your wonderful creativity.
This year I was privileged to be Gil-Ad and Naftali’s counselor, I was privileged to get to know you at close hand, to talk with you, enjoy you, I studied with you within a small group every evening during the year.
Since the kidnapping, I picture you all the time. When many times we used to get carried away in deep discussion of Hassidism, you just smiled the half-smile that is reserved for people who are in the know, you looked at me and just enjoyed the situation, and then you asked questions and took an interest and added your own contribution.
You didn’t let things just pass you by, you lived them!
Gil-Ad, one of the amazing things about you is how alive you were, full of life, colorful, excited. You would draw everyone after you with ideas that you had become enthusiastic about, whether they were big, important things or small, funny ones.
It’s so hard to think about you in the past tense…

 

From the eulogy of Ori Yifrach, father of Eyal Yifrach:
Eyal, our dear, beloved son; we love you, Eyal.
It’s hard for Mom, she loves you so much; our Eyal, the righteous and holy Eyal.
You had special love in you for every person, wherever he was. You were always busy volunteering and helping those around you. You always volunteered for every task, you were always first to help and to contribute.
You said to me more than once – if I’m asked, I can’t refuse. I have to help. If I’m asked, I do it. You were an example to your siblings and your friends.
Everyone misses you, wants you near us, for you to come and hug your siblings and your mother.