Beit Shemesh: Nine Souls Lost, A Nation in Mourning
- IMFoC
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
On Sunday afternoon, as sirens wailed across Beit Shemesh, families did what Israeli families have done for generations under threat — they ran to shelter. Moments later, a missile struck.
A synagogue was destroyed. The public shelter beneath it, the place meant to protect, was hit directly. Nine lives were taken. More than 40 people were injured.
Among those killed were three teenage siblings, Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah Biton, buried side by side. A father described hearing the explosion and seeing smoke rise, realizing in an instant that his children, who had run to the shelter, were gone.
A mother and daughter, Sara and Ronit Elimelech, were killed together. Ronit recently completed a volunteer course with United Hatzalah at her son's request, a birthday gift he had asked her to give him. Her children survived.
Oren Katz, a father of four, was killed after going back to close the reinforced door of the shelter so others could be protected. An act of instinctive generosity cost him his life.
Within minutes of the strike, ZAKA volunteers from the Jerusalem District and the Beit Shemesh team were on scene. They arrived at chaos, collapsed concrete, burning vehicles, shattered homes, and the unbearable silence that follows catastrophe.
For hours, they worked across multiple impact points.
They searched through the rubble, meter by meter, to ensure no one remained trapped. They coordinated with Home Front Command, the Military Rabbinate and emergency services. They established a temporary collection point at the scene and, with reverence and discipline, transferred each victim to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
❝Forces operated simultaneously at several sites - searching, clearing and recovering findings from within the rubble, while also carrying out an orderly evacuation of the victims to a temporary collection point established on-site. All activity is being carried out in full coordination with security forces and with the utmost care for the dignity of the deceased.❞ - Chaim Weingarten, VP of Operations, ZAKA
Throughout the operation, ZAKA’s Resilience Teams were also deployed to support families and volunteers on site. In moments like this, ZAKA volunteers carry a sacred burden. They step into devastation so families do not have to. They gather what remains when homes and lives have been torn apart. They ensure that even in violence, dignity is preserved.
For Canadian Jews watching from afar, the distance can feel unbearable. We check WhatsApp constantly. We wait for updates. We hold our breath until we know our loved ones are safe. And when they are not, we grieve together.
The tragedy in Beit Shemesh is a reminder that every siren in Israel echoes in Jewish homes around the world. Our people are bound together, in joy and in sorrow.
ZAKA will continue to accompany the families and assist authorities for as long as necessary. Their volunteers do not leave when the cameras do. They remain until every life is honoured.
The Israel Magen Fund of Canada is the official representative of ZAKA Search & Rescue in Canada. Through our community’s support, we stand with the volunteers who stand with Israel in its darkest and most difficult hours.
