In Memoriam – Eliyahu David Kay

בסייד

This link will take you to a video recently published by the Israel Ministry Of Foreign Affairs containing pictures of the scene where Eliyahu David Kay became a victim of a Hamas terrorist.

When I first heard about the attack I was busy preparing another Blog for publication, but when his name was published then the news quickly spread throughout our family. Because Eliyahu David Kay was not just another Israeli terrorist victim to myself, my wife and our family, he represented one of the finest families South African Jewry has to offer. I therefore felt compelled to write this Blog.

Because two people we became friendly with when I was first married, were his grandparents, Jessie and Cliffy Kay. They became pillars for the South African Jewish Community. Though I have not seen his grandparents for many years, when I saw the picture of Eliyahu splashed across the headlines of every major Jewish and International publication I could see those warm friendly smiling faces that always greeted me when I met Jessie and Cliffy.

Bringing my family to Israel 25 years ago without the support of family and friends makes me respect the challenges Eliyahu faced as a new Oleh and a Lone Soldier without the support of his family and friends. But in the end, as we also experienced along with Eli, our children became far more fluent in Hebrew than my wife and I allowing them to blend in with our Israeli brothers and sisters.

Our whole family is devastated by this horrific crime that someone who is supposed to be a human being, instead acts like an animal with a weapon in his hand determined to murder as many Jews as possible. Jews are taught to learn from and carry holy books not weapons to be used to kill.

Just like Jessie and Cliffy would be kind and considerate to anyone they met, no matter if they were a Jew or not, it was important that they treated everyone with respect. And that made a very big impression on me because during the majority of the time I lived in South Africa, Apartheid was the law of the land and Eliyahu’s grandparents showed the same respect for blacks as they did for everyone else.

On behalf of my whole family, I wish to give our condolences to Jessie and Cliffy at this very difficult time. I also want to send condolences to Eli’s parents Avi and Devorah and the whole extended Kay family.

MAY HASHEM COMFORT YOU AMONG THE MOURNERS OF TZION AND YERUSHALAYIM