Jerusalem – Thousands of friends and family members took part in the funeral Tuesday for the eight members of the Atias family, killed in a car crash near Tiberias overnight Monday, they were brought to rest at the cemetery in Safed on Tuesday.
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The dead have been named as Rafi and Yehudit, the parents, aged 42, their daughter, Avia, 17, twin sons Shimon and Elyshav, 16, Shira, 11, Tair, 9, and Noa, 5, from the small village of Bar Yochai. Rahel Atias, 7, was the only member of the family to survive the crash.
Yishai Atias spoke of the loss of his brother Rafael, sister-in-law Yehudit, and six of their seven children in a tragic road accident.
“Yesterday we celebrated the opening of the synagogue and brought in two Torah scrolls. It was the happiest day of my life,” he told Army Radio. “Today is exactly the opposite.”
On Monday, he related, the family came early to help prepare for the celebration, and stayed late to help clean up.
Yishai said, “Before he went home he brought our parents home – the last mitzvah he did was honoring his father and mother.”
“It’s very hard for me, but we believe in the Creator of the World, that everything is from above. We must have strong faith,” he added.
Seven year old Rachel Atias, who alone survived Monday’s horrific crash, related the final seconds before the crash to her uncle.
“The car started to move quickly and our mother told us to read from the book Psalms,” she said. “We knew something was wrong and prayed.”
“Mother kissed me, and there were screams in the car. Father called the police before we crashed, he cried and cried,” she added.
Police officials on Tuesday said their initial investigation had concluded the accident that claimed eight members of the Attias family resulted from mechanical failure.
However, police stress the investigation is not complete. Investigators are now reportedly looking into the cause of the mechanical defect, and have not ruled out possible negligence on the part of vehicle inspectors.
Burech Dyen Emes….How can we under stand such a tragedy…
Lets hope that after 60,000 people said Hashem hee elokim with such hisragshos that hashem will turn over those gezyres roo and will accept our tshuveh…
Mah Nomar Umah Nedaber???? What is there to say????? How terribly, terribly tragice. Ribono Shel Oilam, let this Korban Tzibur be the last ones!! Let this Korban tip the scales and redeem us TODAY!!! Only the Al-mighty can comfort the family, and ONLY HE WILL!
BD”E this story brakes every hart.
I feel that they ware nebech the korbunes of the Klell Yiroel ( hasem is taking away Tzadikim)
This story happened right after 60,000 people got together to make a move in yiddishkeit,
Why ?? I feel that we need to be moche and I’m talking to myself, making jokes litzunes pictures comments like crazy, when so many people went out and decided that they are really going to make a change on their phones computers, and then people writing comments all around, making cold others, this is such a Kitrig, Is this a joke, if you didn’t got impressed with the whole matzov, if you don’t want to change your life, why make others cold, IS THIS NORMAL ?? and then we hear stories like that and we ask WHY ???
HKB”H is sending us a message. We must get our cars inspected properly.
I am a grown man yet looking at those beautiful people has brought me to tears…how are such terrible things explained?
their car brakes were suddenly not functioning. This mountain is a very steep one. the were on the phone with the police begging them for instructions on how to stop the brakes.
I haven’t stopped crying since I read this last night. My daughter lives in the same Yishuv. Some of the kids were in the same classes. The whole place is in mourning. There are counselors for the kids and I suspect for the parents to teach themselves how to heal and help their kids heal. I am told that the family went to the yeshiva for the hachnosas sefer Torah and also went to the Mearas Hamachpela and Kever Rochel on the same day. And they were killed on the same day as all the visits to kivrei tzaddikim. How is this possible–HOW!!! I know we need to have bitachon and emunah in the Ribono Shel Olam, but goodness knows, sometimes that is so hard to do and this is one of those times. May this family be zoche to bring us Moshiach bimheara bi’yamenu. May Hashem Yisborach watch over the little girl who survived. She has a long haul ahead of her and so does the family who ends up raising her. May Hashem be menachem the families and help us see the message that He is sending us. Let’s resolve to speak nicely to one another, with kavod and respect. With more patience. and NO TALKING IN SHUL DURING DAVENING!!!! Hamokom yinachem eschem bisoch shear aveilei Tzion viYerushalayim
Reply to 3 I’m fully with you…….,
They look like such a loving family.the poor seven year old obviously Hashem wants her alive. No comment! Totally in a daze!
When is the asifa for molestation prevention?
I’m wonder if because of the panicky situation they didn’t tell him to engage the emergency brake, or shift the car to park, which would have considerably slowed down the car, or he did do these things and they didn’t help
A terrible, heartbreaking tragedy. Do we really need to point fingers & be nasty to others? It happened, we don’t know why, and all we can do is channel our energy into doing good for others in their Zchus. Why don’t we try it instead of sniping at each other? Now I’ll sign off so you can turn on me.
“SIGH”
The only thing which survived was the Tana’ch, A precious “7” year old child Named “Rachel”. The accident happened after a (Torah dedication), and before (prayers for our children). On Rosh Chodesh Sivan , The day we all went to Sinai to Receive the Torah.
Baruch Dayan ha Emes. what a tragedy. Please do not lump it together with the Internet mishigas.