The young man walking next to me was from Young Judaea.

Here from L.A.

Across the street a group of Bnei Akiva teens, wearing their blue תנוע shirts, were holding hands.

A large group of Bais Yaakov girls, all wearing black, sat on the grass.

Across from them a boy with a shaved head and ripped skinny jeans.

And a girl with five piercings.

Two rows over stood Rabbi Hanoch Teller.

Two rows behind me, HaRabbanit Rachelle Frankel.

Yeshiva boys wearing jackets and dress pants, tzitzit hanging starched and white,

sat next to yeshiva boys in faded jeans and knitted kippot.

Their arms wound tightly around each other.

Literally holding on to each other for support.

Because if they let go for even a second…

Everyone was weeping.

Sobbing.

Wailing.

Shattered and heartbroken.

A tremendous amount of light has been distinguished.

Leaving behind insurmountable pain.

Klal Yisrael’s heart has been shredded into 45 pieces and more.

And the way through this hailstorm of grief,

the way to shine any flicker of light in this enormous cavern of darkness,

Is to be as one like we were tonight.

From the levaya of Donny Morris, z”l.

May the neshama of Nachman Daniel and all those taken from us in Meron have an aliya and may their families be comforted among the mourners of Zion.

Esti Rosen Snukal is an experienced special-ed teacher turned chocolatier. She is a mom of 4 boys and adopted mom of a Lone Israeli Soldier. Esti made Aliya with her husband Hershey 4 years ago from Teaneck to Chashmonayim and has documented many of her Israeli adventures and highlights on her Facebook page. Esti can be reached at [email protected].