Voices of Xperience on the Meron Tragedy 60 Days After

 I have had the privilege of writing with the wise and wonderful women at  Xperience, an enrichment program for active adults in RBS, for the last several weeks.  For me, memoir writing comes down to noting the hashgacha pratis in our lives, and recording it for others.  

Our writing workshop the Monday morning after Lag B’omer was no exception. It was quite clear as everyone gathered and sat down that there was an elephant-a very sad elephant-in the room. The tragedy in Meron weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts and minds. This heart-wrenching event opened up inspired reflections and tefillot. What follows is a sampling of how these were transcribed onto tear stained paper.

            May these words provide comfort to the bereaved families and K’lal Yisrael.

                                                                                    Ellen Greenfield,

                                                                                    Workshop facilitator, Lifenotes  

Edie Barr

What can I say to comfort you?

I don’t think words are capable of expressing these deep feelings. So much tragedy has befallen the Jewish people in history.  The only thing that I can say is that Hashem has a plan. We cannot understand the mind of the Divine. We are finite and only live for a short time. Chabad taught me that life is like a book. We are born and die on one page. We don’t know the end of the story. 

I heard a shiur by Rebetzin Tarshish last night that presented another dimension. She said the people who died had just finished singing Ani Ma’amin and saying Shema together with all kinds of Orthodox people. They died pure, connected to their fellow Jews and Hashem. They are in the highest place in Heaven. Hashem is screaming to us to reach out to him. 

If we take on even one extra mitzva to connect us to our fellow Jew and Hashem we will have gotten the message that these holy souls have given us. 

Marietta Slifkin

What can I say/write to comfort you at this time? I have no words to write. Words cannot help, but if only I could be with you, and just hold your hand and look into your eyes and say, “sh, sh”, I’m here for you and with you and I will stay with you for as long as my very presence is some small comfort. Hashem gives and Hashem takes-ours is not to even ask although we can ask-even though we know there is no reply.

Yvette Frank

“What a Difference a day makes!”

One day we are anticipating the excitement and joy at the celebration of Lag B’omer and within hours we are mourning. How many memories does this bring up? From happiness to great sadness-among these memories comes to mind the tragedy of 9/11. A beautiful calm autumn day in NY-destroyed, clouded with death, smoke, tragedy and loss!

Esther Ermann

What does Hashem want from me? To improve my kavannah in my davening and saying Tehilim. To be especially careful with shmirat halashon- because lashon harah kills three-the speaker, the one spoken about, and the listener. 

What does Hashem want from me? To strengthen kavod habri’ot. This includes being careful to clean up after ourselves in public places (the bus, the matnas, the shul, etc.) The cleaning help has enough to do without our being lazy about picking up after ourselves. 

Never speak against any group of Jews. Each group has its own way of serving Hashem. We need to respect their way; it works for them. I am reminded of Rav Aryeh Levine who had empathy for every Jew. His granddaughter-Rebetzin Kanievsky had an enormous love for all types of Jews. Even if we cannot reach their level of chesed, we can still emulate their attitude to our fellow Jews.

Mina Gold

I woke up early on Friday morning, and made myself a drink, then put on my phone and looked at Whatsapp. The first post came from my son in America to say that there had been a stampede in Meron. 

I had to read the message a few times for it to sink in. My mind went blank; all I could say was “Baruch Dayan Emet.”  I opened the news on the computer. The first scene was hearing people singing “Ani Ma'amin” watching them jumping up and down, dancing with joy. The next scene was a blur of Hatzala, Mada, Police and the sound of sirens. I could not watch anymore. All I could think of were the parents, the wives, the children, the brothers, the sisters. 

Another thing that touched me was a memory. Forty years ago I lost a baby from a crib death. All I can do is hold onto my emunah like I did forty years ago. 

Rochelle Samuel

When I first heard the news, I really thought my ears were deceiving me-these sort of tragedies don’t happen here in Israel - they happen in other far-flung countries where, when we hear of it, it’s just another tragedy. It has no connection to us-to me-and much as I sympathize with the people affected, it really has no impact on me. Geographically, I am so detached from it that sadly such tragedies have become just another piece of news.

BUT THIS??

This happened a couple hours away from me-I know people who went there! Do I call a relative to ask if their family member is ok? Gosh!-What do I say if they don’t know or if Gd Forbid there is bad news? I remind myself that bad news travels faster than good news. So I decide not to call anyone, and try to concentrate on Shabbos preparations. It’s not easy. 

Yashi Baer (to her 10 year old daughter)

You are facing a reality you never faced before. It shook your reality and filled your world with fear.  The idea that this could happen where no one is capable of saving the other. How could this be that even a Mommy or Abba is powerless? How could something bad happen where no one did anything wrong? They were allowed to be there and not being irresponsible for going. And even those in the crowd that stumbled were powerless to stop. What can we say to explain such a tragedy to our young children?

There is nothing to say-just to listen. To express that we don’t know why or exactly how but we know that if this is what Hashem chose, to take these neshamos to Shamayim, that it is good, even when the reality is hard or impossible to understand. 

Helena Tibber

When I heard about the tragedy in Meron, Of course I felt grief about those who were killed, many of them very young. But there was another feeling I had which almost swamped the grief  -and that was anger. How could we have allowed this to happen? And as more and more facts became known about what happened, my anger grew. Until I stopped myself.

Anger is not going to help those who were bereaved to deal with this tragedy, and will not stop this kind of event from recurring. 

The only thing is to look deep inside ourselves and see what we can do so that it doesn’t happen again. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best thing we can do is to become more patient, and give way without feeling resentment. (This will also help me on the road when I’m driving. And whenever I feel like insisting on taking my right of way, I will remember what the consequences can be.)

Julie Frank

 “Vyadom Aharon” (And Aaron stood silent) 

 It was a Holy Day- People going to do a Mitzvah- to visit the grave of the RASHBI. This is the day when the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. Yet this joyous day became a day of mourning. People running to do a Mitzvah. How Sad! 

 What can we glean from this tragedy? What is Hashem saying?

 I want you- Children of Israel- but I need you to watch out for the "COVID" of others.

 Have we learned the lessons? Do we need more sacrifices of Aharon's sons?

 We just learned the  Parshiyot- Acharei Mot- Kedoshim:  Let them speak to us Today!!

 Silence- Vayidom Aharon

 Jackie Lowenstein

        What Can I Say To Comfort You, Hashem?

 What can I say to comfort You, Hashem?

You created us, 

You made us a people, 

You gave us our instruction manual, the Torah,

and You gave us the freedom to use it wisely.

Yet time and again, throughout history, things go awry and disasters happen.

We are shocked.     We are sad ...   so sad.

And  You must be so much sadder than we...

How can we comfort You?

All we are left to do is to recall and remind You that although we slip off "the derech" so often, with Your help and faith in us, we always come back to You!!! 

And we always try harder.

During this tragic time, may we and may You comfort each other.  

And may we use this sensitive time to come closer to You and to help each other.

©ShemeshOnlineTo get updates, news and events in Beit Shemesh, join our no-chatter WhatsApp group!Click here to join: https://bit.ly/Shemesh12Click here to join our no-chatter Telegram channel: https://t.me/BeitShemeshUpdates