The Jewish Link staff joins the greater Jewish community in mourning for the 45 neshamot taken from us, suddenly and tragically. We all feel particularly close to the Morris and Kronenberg families in Bergenfield and Passaic, and the Koltai family who made aliyah from Passaic a few years ago. Without any attempt to minimize their experience, the reverberations of their pain and grief, juxtaposed with the photo of Donny’s smiling face from Meron, has become a permanent image in our memories and part of our collective trauma.

Our hearts are heavy as we share the shock and grief that so many of our readers, friends and students in Israel have endured this week. We hope that healing and comfort will come, and that the mourners will be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Baruch Dayan HaEmet.