Students and rabbis from Aish HaTorah participated in a walk of unity, and inspiring prayer and song, on Wednesday night in Jerusalem in commemoration of Rabbi Reuven Biermacher, 45, a husband and father of seven who was stabbed and killed by Palestinian terrorists on Dec. 23, 2015.
Originally from Argentina, Biermacher was attacked outside of Jaffa Gate while walking home from teaching his morning class at Aish HaTorah in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.
He was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, where he later succumbed to multiple wounds.
Rabbi Nachman Elsant, assistant director of Yeshivas Aish HaTorah, reminded the group that Jews have a mission to bring ethics, morals and purity into the world.
“Rav Reuven Biermacher died because he was a Jew. Jewish people have died in every generation for one reason: because the Jewish people have a mission to fill this world with kedusha, holiness and truth. We should not wait for tragedies to strike too close to home in order to accomplish this mission. May the Almighty help us dig deep inside of ourselves to really see what it is that we need to do, what we need to change. May Hashem accept our prayers so that there should be no more pain and suffering among us.”
The group walked in Biermacher’s footsteps—from the Aish HaTorah Beis Midrash to where he was killed three years ago. A marker honoring his memory is posted at the site.
They then recited prayers, with passers-by stopping to join them as well.
Afterwards, the students and rabbis locked arms and sang “Acheinu,” a song about turning distress into comfort and darkness to light.
