Unforgotten Soldier
November 15, 2012
This poem is being published as a tribute to all of the Israeli soldiers that are fighting for Israel. As Israel takes a stand and retaliates against Hamas and the terror that they unleash on a daily basis to the citizens of Israel, we pray for our Jewish Chayalim/soldiers to be protected and for the safety of the Holy Land during these trying times. If you live anywhere in or near the danger zone, we are sending thoughts and prayers your way. Three causalities are three too many. Hashem Yikom Damam. To all those who are reading this, if a chapter of Psalms can be said or simply a good deed done, that would mean a whole lot. Please share and be safe.
Written by: Lieba Bard-Wigdor
From the city of Tel Aviv
He walks to the door
Gradually turns around
And kneels on the floor
Aba, please don’t leave me
We need you right here
The child sounds so desperate
His voice is filled with fear
Our Jewish brothers need me
My son, please understand
This is what I must do
To protect our holy land
Wherever Elokim* takes me
My son, I want you to know
You will be with me always
But now I really must go
He watches his father leave
As a tear rolls down his cheek
He waves the soldier goodbye
For he can no longer speak
Many years pass on by
Since that very last day
His father’s final departure
And forever taken away
He looks into the mirror
He sees his father’s face
It brings back memories
Of a familiar time and place
From the city of Tel Aviv
He walks to the door
Gradually turns around
And kneels on the floor
Aba, please don’t leave me
Your father did the same
I do not want to lose you
To be another forgotten name
My son, Saba** is remembered
Although we may be apart
He’s been watching over me
As he is always in my heart
Now I will watch over you
As my father did the same
I love you, B’ni Hayakar***
I won’t be a forgotten name
Stay strong, my dear son
I will be okay, don’t cry
For this land is ours forever
B’ni, Am Yisrael Chai****
* G-d
** Grandpa
*** My dear son
**** My son, the Nation of Israel lives
EXACTLY four years ago to the day, on the Jewish calendar, I posted a memorial for my sister and brother emissaries who were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists. [photoblog.com] Today again… another sister emissary, 25 year old, pregnant, Mira Scharf and two men, Ahron Smadga and Yitzchak Amselam, were murdered by Hamas terrorists!
Thursday morning a Grad rocket launched by a terrorist group in Gaza slammed into the apartment building in Kiryat Malachi where they were staying. Tragically, one of those killed was a 25-year-old pregnant mother of three planning to attend a memorial service for friends killed in a notorious terrorist attack in Mumbai, India in 2008.
According to the international Jewish organization Chabad Lubavitch, the two men and woman were identified as Ahron Smadga, Yitzchak Amselam, and the pregnant woman, Mira (nee Cohen) Scharf.
In fact, like the two Chabad emissaries killed in Mumbai in 2008, Scharf was involved in Jewish community outreach in India. Scharf returned to Israel to give birth because of the high level of medical care in Israel.
Chillingly, the memorial service for the Mumbai victims, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, was planned for Thursday. According to the Hebrew calendar, they were murdered on the first day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which is today, the same day Mira Scharf was killed.
She was the mother of three young children:
A second victim named Ahron Smadga said to be in his late forties was the father of the 8 month old baby girl who was injured.
“He was married for 20 years and couldn’t have children then he had twin boys nine years ago, and 8 months ago his daughter was born and he was walking around with a smile on his face that he had a daughter after all this years,” “He was one of the first Chabad soldiers to join the Israeli Army,” he said. The third victim was 22 year old Yitzchak Amselam. The funeral is planned for later today. “The entire community is devastated from the tragedy.”
“The shelters in Kiryat Malachi were not readied for the onslaught, and the residents of the building that was hit were running to relative safety under the stairwell of the building, when a missile hit, taking precious lives and injuring the others.”
Kiryat Malachi means “City of Angels” in English. It is a relatively low-income city of 21,000 about 11 miles from Ashkelon in southern Israel.
Here is video taken by an Arutz 7 correspondent showing the extensive damage inside the building in which the three were killed: [youtube.com]
PLEASE SAY TEHILLIM (PSALMS) FOR THE HUSBAND AND CHILDREN OF MIRA (may she rest in peace): Shmuel the son of Chaya Sarah, Yosef Yitzchak the son of Mira Rut, Chana the daughter of Mira Rut, and Geulah the daughter of Mira Rut, who were seriously injured in the attack.
Terrible times, really sorry for you and your people.