Father cried at funeral: "We haven't ordered tefillin yet, we ended up buying a plot""

December 12, 2024   

Hundreds are accompanying the 12-year-old boy Aharon Yehoshua Tuvia Simcha to his grave, who was murdered last night (Thursday) in a shooting attack on a bus, near the tunnel checkpoint, near Beitar Illit. His bar mitzvah celebration was supposed to take place in Iyar. The funeral procession left the Shamgar funeral home, and will pass through the 'Peni Menachem' synagogue on 3 Yosef Ziv Street - towards Har Hamenuchot, where he will be buried. His father, the Gaon Rabbi David Zusha Simcha, - the head of the all-Chasidic yeshiva in Beitar Illit, and prominent figures in the 'Peni Menachem' community headed by the head of the yeshiva from Gur, Rabbi Shaul Alter - said goodbye to him in tears and said that they still hadn't had time to buy tefillin for the bar mitzvah - and they already need to purchase a grave plot for him. The father wanted to convey a message: "The Gentile who killed him didn't care where the child came from or where he was going, he knew he was a Jew. Let's understand and try to keep each other safe, to keep from hurting, to keep the other's honor." He added: "It's not the order of the world that a father and mother should stand at a son's funeral. You were an example to everyone, even to your father. I always felt that I needed to be better, because I have such a special child and I need to adapt myself to be a father to such a child." The boy's younger brother eulogized at the funeral: "My dear brother, you were the best brother. We went through so much together, it hurts my heart a lot, I ask you to pray for me and the whole family.".  

A chilling eulogy from the younger brother of the boy Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha, who was murdered in tonight's attack: My dear brother, you were the best brother. We went through so much together, it hurts my heart very much, I ask you to pray for me and the entire family pic.twitter.com/XATUG2RwyP

— Akiva Weisz (@AkivaWeisz) December 12, 2024

The Talmud Torah teachers told the story of a child who took advantage of every free moment to study. The teacher said: "He arrived a little late this week and immediately went to look at the 'Katzot Hosheon'. One of the children asked him why he didn't eat first. Tuvia replied: 'I was thinking about studying on the way and wanted to check if it matched what I was thinking.'" Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Transportation Uri Maklev is participating as the government's representative at the child's funeral. "Together with the people of Israel, we cry and are shocked that the pure and innocent child was taken on his way to heaven from family joy. We strengthen and comfort the family in their heavy grief.". Aharon Yehoshua Tuvia was murdered on his way from celebrating the last 'Sheva Barakhot' of his sister, who got married last Thursday in Bnei Brak. On the way back to Jerusalem, the family was caught up in the murderous attack that claimed Tuvia's life. The attack took place on Kavim bus line 291, which was on its way from Beitar Illit to Jerusalem. The terrorist fired 23 bullets at the bus. Another woman, a resident of Jerusalem, was moderately injured in the attack, and two others were slightly injured. The driver, who was also injured, continued the trip to the tunnel checkpoint, where the injured were treated by rescue forces. Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein told Kol Hai: "The bride and groom were traveling in the car, 4 children were traveling in the bus - 3 girls and the son who was murdered. After the attack, I took the girls to their home in Jerusalem. I had to make sure they didn't understand that their brother had been murdered." [Gallery]