Chabad emissary in Milan: 'Amit was our security man, a terrible disaster, a shock'"

May 24, 2021   

14 people were killed yesterday (Sunday) in a cable car crash in the Alps in northern Italy. What are your chances of winning a duplex? And why is your dream closer than ever? Sweet, savory, for a picnic or to make with kids? A special variety of recipes Five Israelis perished in the disaster, all members of one family: Amit Biran, 30 years old, his wife Tal Peleg-Biran, 26 years old, their son Tom, 2 years old, and Tal's maternal grandparents - Yitzhak Cohen, 81 years old, and Barbara Cohen, 71 years old. Amit and Tal lived in the city of Pavia in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Amit studied medicine and worked for a living as a security guard at a Chabad school in Milan, while Tal worked as a psychologist. Eitan, the couple's eldest son, 5 years old, was seriously injured. Aya, the sister of Amit's father, who was killed, is in the hospital at Eitan's bedside. Amit's brother, and her brother and Tal's father, will fly to Italy tonight. Rabbi Shmuel Hizkiya, a Chabad emissary and school staff member in Milan, told Assaf Lieberman on Channel 2 this morning: "Amit was our security guard, someone we meet every morning, all day. He worked at the school, at the community center, and also at the city's largest synagogue. A very beloved person, always with a smile. It's hard, a terrible disaster. We are all in shock." He said of the late Amit and Tal couple who were killed in the disaster: "This is a young, kind and beloved couple who came to study medicine in Italy. We pray for their 5-year-old son Eitan-Moshe to be strong and to be able to survive. He suffered a strong blow to his legs, he is sedated, and his condition is still critical." He added: "The Italians in all the press are in shock. This is a very touristy site that is managed through a private company. All the authorities, including the president and prime minister, are interested - how can it be that before it can be opened and tourists can be brought back - the disaster happened. All of us in the community are shocked." He noted that members of the country's Jewish community are shocked and interested in helping the relatives of the deceased.