Jerusalem – Kiryat Malachi Rocket Attack Victims Mourned by Friends and Family (photos)

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    The Sharf family.Jerusalem – Details are beginning to emerge about the three victims who died in this morning’s rocket attack in the southern Israeli municipality of Kiryat Malachi.

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    The three, 25 year old Mina Scharf, 49 year old Aharon Smadja and 27 year old Itzik Amsalem lost their lives when a rocket fired from Gaza destroyed apartments on the top two floors of the building where all three victims lived, as previously reported on VIN News.

    While some building residents went into the building’s bomb shelter when alarms went off at 8:00 AM this morning, one resident said that the shelters were not adequately prepared for any kind of attack, according to reports on Israeli news source Ynet.

    “There were heavy items in the shelter and it wasn’t in any condition for so many people. Some tenants preferred to ride out the attacks in interior rooms of their apartments while others gathered in the stairwells and that is how this terrible catastrophe happened.”
    27 year old Itzik Amsalem Photo: Chabad.info
    Smadja, who lived on the third floor of the building, went up to the fourth floor in order to help the Amsalem family during the rocket attacks.

    Smadja was a well known fixture in Kiryat Malachi and neighbors recalled that he and his wife Fanny longed to have children, but it was fourteen years before their prayers were finally answered with the birth of twins, ten years ago.

    “There was incredible simcha in the neighborhood,” said Mendel Chalili whose mother lives near the Smadjas. “Just ten months ago they were blessed with another daughter, and now all three children are orphaned. It hurts the heart.”

    Neighbors remember Smadja as a big baal chesed who made sure to send food for poor people before every holiday. After suffering a heart attack in the past, Smadja closed his neighborhood felafel stand and spent his days learning Torah.

    “Everyone loved him,” declared Chalili. “He had a true, good heart.”
    49 year old Aharon Smadja. Photo: Chabad.info
    Mira Scharf, a mother of three who ran the Chabad house in New Delhi, India, had been married to her husband Shmulik for five years. The Scharfs came to spend some time in Israel and were planning on taking part in a commemorative service in memory of the Mumbai massacre which took place almost four years ago.

    “She was a tremendous person who lived her life modestly so that people in India could taste even the smallest drop of Yiddishkeit,” said Rebbetzin Chaya Scharf, the victim’s mother in law. “They built a mikvah in Delhi despite financial hardships and as a grandmother, I can only hope that I can measure up to her legacy.”

    Shmulik Scharf had originally planned on going to the Kinus Hashluchim in New York this past week with a stop on the way home to raise funds in Panama, but those plans were derailed when a snowstorm hit Panama.

    “If he had been gone, Mira would have certainly gone to her parents in Jerusalem and not stayed home alone in Kiryat Malachi,” said relative Shimshon Goldstein. “Maybe her life would have been saved.”

    Photos of the funeral of Mira Scharf below:

    {NewsPhotosEmbed 116703555}


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    17 Comments
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    sylmoss
    sylmoss
    11 years ago

    There is nothing to say…..Please let’s not start making all kinds of comments here. The bottom line is we NEED Moshiach so badly!!
    Mir vaysin garnisht except that Hashem Hu Ha-E-Loykim!!!!
    We can only do chesed for one another – daven and learn Torah.. The bottom line: Torah, Avodah and Gemilas Chassadim!!!

    kanig
    kanig
    11 years ago

    ה’ ינקם דמם

    missyid
    missyid
    11 years ago

    This is so sad but there are some discrepancies in this post. Is her name Mira or Mina? And the story of the couple who waited 14 yrs to have a baby and had twins ten years ago does not fit with the name beside a man who is 27.

    In their respect they deserve to have the appropriate details applied to the appropriate person.

    BD”E

    11 years ago

    An eye for an eye! We all stand behind Israel. May Hashem grant them safety and victory.

    11 years ago

    The kedosha Mira Scharf was 7 months pregnant.

    Ein milim

    11 years ago

    Mira Scharf’s husband and 3 children are in critical condition.
    please say tehillim now:
    Shmuel ben Chaya Sarah Yehudis
    Yosef Yitzchak ben Mira Rut
    Chana bas Mira Rut
    Geulah bas Mira Rut

    Mikerose
    Mikerose
    11 years ago

    Hash-em yimkan dumon ! Nebech nebech -no words – just hope no more Israeli casualties -just plenty of them yishmaelim- shame he didn’t die in the midbar-but that’s what hash-em wanted -and now he wants our tefilos some times we get the refuya b4 the maccah -maybe hurricane sandy -brought out so much gemilas chesed from us -now that should be a zechus for no more tzar-by no1-ever

    GEULA
    GEULA
    11 years ago

    He was 47 years old. Her name is Mira. She was pregnant. This is such a painful tragedy. They were all on their way to evacuate, the amsalem boy that was killed was helping everyone get out. Normally a rocket falls in an area for the first time and then it’s a warning. You hear the The alert and the first time your in panic especially in a place so far out as kiryat malachi. Noone thought that a first hit would be a hit. Like if you look at little clips of Tel Avivians finding shelter this evening they were laughing and not used to it. It’s a basherte story that hurts real hard.

    My2Cents_
    My2Cents_
    11 years ago

    Hamokom Yenachem eschem bzoch aveli tzion yerishleim

    My heart saddens for these families
    ____________________________________________________

    Not to be political… the ? still is … was it worth it ? was the grandstanding yesterday worth 1 drop of Jewish blood ….. don’t look at the arabs we don’t expect better from them ( they are yismuelim ) but we could expect better from so called Jewish leader

    rivin
    rivin
    11 years ago

    Please take your time and read the following.
    its no point saying that this conflict was nad needed1 sure it was needed. yes my heart goes out for the familys who lost loved ones, my tears are still runing down my face! what I do think is that israel must be more harsh, May hashem be there right hand! אם ה’ לא ישמר עיר שוא שקד שמר may I finish off to my dear brothers and sisters המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבילי ציון וירושלים

    11 years ago

    Aaron Smadja, hashem yikom domo, was the one who waited 14 years for children and leaves behind his wife, twins and baby. Mrs. Mira Scharf, hashem yikom doma, was the mother of 3 who was killed (living in India, visiting Israel). Her husband and kids need tehillim.