(Jewish Link) Last week, two bus-stop bombings on the outskirts of Jerusalem killed two people and injured at least 22, including 18-year-old Naomi Pilichowski, whose parents are Rabbi Uri Pilichowski, originally from Fair Lawn, and Mayor of Mitzpe Yericho Aliza Pilichowski, originally from San Diego. They made aliyah with their family in 2014. They have six children. Rabbi Pilichowski reported on Twitter that Naomi was en route to her sheirut leumi job in Bet Shemesh when a Palestinian terrorist detonated a bomb on November 23.

Naomi was hit by flying shrapnel but did not sustain serious injuries. In a piece for JNS, Rabbi Pilichowski elaborated on the details of the attack, writing that “Naomi texted our family WhatsApp group that there was a bombing and she was fine … but her next text said she was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. My wife Aliza [who has served as the mayor of Mitzpe Yericho since 2018] and I met Naomi at the hospital, saw the wound wasn’t serious, and waited while she was interviewed by doctors, Shabak, the police, social workers and psychologists.” He noted that Naomi was released after six hours.

“Our daughter Naomi will be fine,” he wrote for JNS. “Our family will be fine. Our people will be fine. The Jewish state will be fine. The Jewish people will grow and flourish. God will protect us and keep us safe. Our enemies will be defeated, and we will be the ones to defeat them.”

Rabbi Pilichowski noted how grateful he felt to God and to the entire Jewish community for the outpouring of concern and offers of comfort following the attack. “We’ve never felt so loved and supported,” he shared.