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News   Jewish Life

The names and faces of those who lost their lives at Mount Meron

They came from all over Israel and the world to celebrate Lag B’Omer in the first open religious event since the start of the pandemic. Forty-five would end up crushed to death, while more than 150 were injured.

May. 2, 2021
Mourners attend the funeral of brothers Yosef David Elhadar and Moshe Mordechai Elhadar, two victims of the stampede in Meron during the celebration of Lag B'Omer, May 2, 2021. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.
Mourners attend the funeral of brothers Yosef David Elhadar and Moshe Mordechai Elhadar, two victims of the stampede in Meron during the celebration of Lag B’Omer, May 2, 2021. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

Some of the people killed in the stampede at Lag B’Omer celebrations on Mount Meron were laid to rest on Saturday night, with the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine having identified the 45 bodies by Sunday.

The following is a list of those whose names were released by Sunday morning:

Menachem Zakbach (24) from Modi’in Illit

Menachem Zakbach. Credit: Courtesy.
Menachem Zakbach. Credit: Courtesy.

David Kraus (33) from Beit Shemesh

David Kraus. Credit: Courtesy.
David Kraus. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef Amram Tauber, an American citizen

Yosef Amram Tauber. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef Amram Tauber. Credit: Courtesy.

Rabbi Eliezer Mordechai Goldberg (37) from Betar Illit

Rabbi Eliezer Mordechai Goldberg. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Eliezer Mordechai Goldberg. Credit: Courtesy.

Eliezer Tzvi Youzef (26) from the United States

Eliezer Tzvi Youzef. Credit: Courtesy.

Eliyahu Cohen (16) from Betar Illit

Eliyahu Cohen. Credit: Courtesy.
Eliyahu Cohen. Credit: Courtesy.

Simcha Bunim Diskind (23) from Beit Shemesh

Simcha Bunim Diskind. Credit: Courtesy.
Simcha Bunim Diskind. Credit: Courtesy.

Shimon Matalon (37) from Betar Illit

Shimon Matalon. Credit: Courtesy.
Shimon Matalon. Credit: Courtesy.

Rabbi Hanoch Slod (52) from Ashdod

Rabbi Hanoch Slod. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Hanoch Slod. Credit: Courtesy.

Moshe Ben-Shalom (20) from Bnei Brak

Moshe Ben-Shalom. Credit: Courtesy.
Moshe Ben-Shalom. Credit: Courtesy.

Yonatan Chevroni (27) from Givat Shmuel

Yonatan Chevroni. Credit: Courtesy.
Yonatan Chevroni. Credit: Courtesy.

Haim Rach from Beit Shemesh

Haim Rach. Credit: Courtesy.
Haim Rach. Credit: Courtesy.

Yishai Mualem (17)

Yishai Mualem. Credit: Courtesy.
Yishai Mualem. Credit: Courtesy.

Yedidiya Asher Fogel (22) from Jerusalem

Yedidiya Asher Fogel. Credit: Courtesy.
Yedidiya Asher Fogel. Credit: Courtesy.

Elazar Yitzchak (“Azi”) Koltai (13) from Jerusalem

Elazar Yitzchak (“Azi”) Koltai. Credit: Courtesy.
Elazar Yitzchak (“Azi”) Koltai. Credit: Courtesy.

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Rubin (27) from Beit Shemesh

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Rubin. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Rubin. Credit: Courtesy.

Moshe Levy (14) from Bnei Brak

Moshe Levy. Credit: Courtesy.
Moshe Levy. Credit: Courtesy.

Shmuel Zvi Klagsbald (43) from Beitar Illit

Shmuel Zvi Klagsbald. Credit: Courtesy.
Shmuel Zvi Klagsbald. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef Mastorov (17), a yeshivah student from Ramle

Yosef Mastorov. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef Mastorov. Credit: Courtesy.

Haim Seller (24) from Jerusalem

Haim Seller. Credit: Courtesy.
Haim Seller. Credit: Courtesy.

Dov (“Dubi”) Steinmetz (21) from Montreal, studying at a Jerusalem yeshivah

Dov (“Dubi”) Steinmetz. Credit: Courtesy.
Dov (“Dubi”) Steinmetz. Credit: Courtesy.

Yaakov Elchanan Strakovsky (20) from Elad

Yaakov Elchanan Strakovsky. Credit: Courtesy.
Yaakov Elchanan Strakovsky. Credit: Courtesy.

Nahman Kirshbaum (15) from Beit Shemesh

Nahman Kirshbaum. Credit: Courtesy.
Nahman Kirshbaum. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef Yehuda Levy (17) from Rechasim

Yosef Yehuda Levy. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef Yehuda Levy. Credit: Courtesy.

Rabbi Ariel Tzadik (56) from Jerusalem

Rabbi Ariel Tzadik. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Ariel Tzadik. Credit: Courtesy.

Doniel (“Donny”) Morris (19) from New Jersey

Nachman Daniel (“Donny”) Morris. Credit: Courtesy.
Nachman Daniel (“Donny”) Morris. Credit: Courtesy.

Rabbi Eliezer Gafner (52) from Jerusalem

Rabbi Eliezer Gafner. Credit: Courtesy.
Rabbi Eliezer Gafner. Credit: Courtesy.

Yisrael Ankawa (24) from Jerusalem

Yisrael Ankawa. Credit: Courtesy.
Yisrael Ankawa. Credit: Courtesy.

Avrohom Daniel Ambon (21) from Argentina

Avrohom Daniel Ambon. Credit: Courtesy.
Avrohom Daniel Ambon. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef Greenbaum (22) from Haifa

Yosef Greenbaum. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef Greenbaum. Credit: Courtesy.

Pinchas Menachem Knoblowitz (21) from New York

Pinchas Menachem Knoblowitz. Credit: Courtesy.
Pinchas Menachem Knoblowitz. Credit: Courtesy.

Elkana Shiloh (28) from Jerusalem

Elkana Shiloh. Credit: Courtesy.
Elkana Shiloh. Credit: Courtesy.

Yedidya Hayut (13)

Yedidya Hayut. Credit: Courtesy.
Yedidya Hayut. Credit: Courtesy.

Moshe Tzarfati (65) from Jerusalem

Moshe Tzarfati. Credit: Courtesy.
Moshe Tzarfati. Credit: Courtesy.

Ariel Achdut (20) from Jerusalem

Ariel Achdut. Credit: Courtesy.
Ariel Achdut. Credit: Courtesy.

Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz (19) from Tzfat

Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz. Credit: Courtesy.
Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef Kahan from Cleveland

Yosef Kahan. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef Kahan. Credit: Courtesy.

Mordechai Yoel Fakata (24)

Mordechai Yoel Fakata. Credit: Courtesy.
Mordechai Yoel Fakata. Credit: Courtesy.

Chen Doron (41) from Holon

Chen Doron. Credit: Courtesy.
Chen Doron. Credit: Courtesy.

Moshe Bergman (24) from England

Moshe Bergman. Credit: Courtesy.
Moshe Bergman. Credit: Courtesy.

Two sets of siblings were also among the victims:

Moshe Engelrad (14) and Yehoshua Engelrad (9) from Jerusalem

Moshe and Yehoshua Engelrad. Credit: Courtesy.
Moshe and Yehoshua Engelrad. Credit: Courtesy.

Yosef David Elchadad (18) and Moshe Mordechai Elchadad (12) from Jerusalem

Yosef David and Moshe Mordechai Elchadad. Credit: Courtesy.
Yosef David and Moshe Mordechai Elchadad. Credit: Courtesy.

Chassidic singer Rabbi Shraga Gestetner (35) from Montreal, who came to Israel specifically for the Lag B’Omer celebrations, was also killed. He was buried in Jerusalem on Friday afternoon but with no immediate family present in Israel to attend the funeral.

Chassidic singer Rabbi Shraga Gestetner. Credit: Courtesy.
Chassidic singer Rabbi Shraga Gestetner. Credit: Courtesy.

This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

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