New York—Unfathomable grief flowed through a river of sorrow on Friday morning as hundreds came to say goodbye to Daniella Moffson, a beloved Barnard College junior who lost her life after completing a compassionate mission to Central America this past Wednesday morning.
Two days after the crash on a Honduran highway, the 21-year-old’s friends and family were still in shock, struggling to cope with the tragic loss of a promising light that had been dimmed all too early.
Daniella was well known for her simple goodness, her genuine compassion and her commitment to her family, her religion and her fellow man. Known to lavish her special brand of warmth on everyone she met, Daniella attracted legions of admirers, focusing her life on helping others and on bettering the world on a daily basis.
Daniella’s passion for helping everyone, even total strangers, seemed to be ingrained in her even in her youth.
Daniella, who was the chairperson of the Ramaz Chesed Committee and volunteered for The Friendship Circle, was the recipient of the Tefila Award at her high school graduation. She went on to spend a year at Midreshet AMIT in Jerusalem, which incorporates volunteering at a foster home for disadvantaged children into its academic curriculum.
“It wasn’t enough that she went to a program that focused on helping kids, she took it on herself to be certified by Magen David Adom and go out on calls,” said Miller. “Her death is a loss to the family, the community and the world because she was helping people all over the globe.”
After returning from Israel, Daniella began her studies at Barnard College, laying the groundwork for her future as a pediatrician. In between classes, she found time to volunteer at Camp Simcha, to spend time with hospitalized children, to serve as the captain of the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center 2015 College Bowl-A-Thon and to organize student groups from Ramaz to join in her charitable activities.
“I’ve never in my life met anyone like her,” said one close friend who asked to remain anonymous. “She dedicated every hour of her 24 hours to doing chesed and helping others. She was an example to every person, and everyone could learn from the way she lived her life. Sometime she would just spend the night in the hospital with a cancer patient. She wouldn’t even tell anyone she was going. She was the most humble person you ever met. Her favorite thing to do was to volunteer and help others.”
Cantor Netanel Hershtik of The Hampton Synagogue knew the Moffson family from their summers in West Hampton. “Daniella was eidel, gentle, a real tzadeket,” said Hershtik. “She was always the first one in the ezrat nashim for Shacharit. She had great midot. It is amazing how Hashem takes the very best.”
Emotional tributes to Daniella on social media bore testament to the many lives she touched.
“She was one of the kindest, sweetest and most generous people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting,” wrote Lauren Lantry, who noted that Daniella invited her to sit with her in class early in her first semester. “While she never knew it, she was the first person to make me feel welcome and at home at Barnard.”
An overflow crowd jammed Kehilath Jeshurun and spilled out onto East 85th Street for Daniella’s levaya, followed by burial at Riverside Cemetery in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Daniella is survived by her parents, Michael and Sheera, and her siblings, Raquel and Alex.
“Words cannot describe the loss,” wrote Alexander Jay Banon on Facebook. “You were the kindest, most giving person I have ever met. Always had a smile on your face from the day you were born. Danielle Moffson, you will always be remembered for the amazing things you did in this world. You inspire us all to focus on what’s important in life. That lesson will never be forgotten. Your legacy will live on through all of us.”
By Sandy Eller/vosizneias.com
(excerpted and printed with permission)
