There was no joy on Monday at the brit milah celebration for Rabbi Itamar Ben-Gal's new nephew. There was only profound despair and grief. Without warning, a day of celebration became a day of mourning.
Ben-Gal, a resident of the Har Bracha settlement in Samaria, was on his way to celebrate the birth of his sister-in-law's son. He was trying to catch a ride at a hitchhiking stop outside the town of Ariel, on Highway 5, when suddenly, a terrorist pounced on him with a knife and fatally stabbed him.
The attacker managed to flee the scene and Ben-Gal was evacuated in critical condition to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
The brit ceremony was performed as planned, but the family was despondent upon learning of the attack. There were no smiles.
Ben-Gal, a 29-year-old father of four, was an optimistic, welcoming, warm man who always smiled, his friends and neighbors recounted. His youngest child is six months old, and his oldest is seven. He was a student at the Har Bracha hesder yeshiva, which combines Torah study with military service, and stayed on to teach there after graduating. In addition, he also taught the eighth grade at the Bnei Akiva yeshiva in Givat Shmuel, which is where he was coming from when he was murdered.
In one of the photos that were circulated after the attack featured Ben-Gal speaking with Rabbi Raziel Shevach, who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists last month. The two terror victims knew each other and had mutual friends.
Many residents of Har Bracha knew them both. One of those acquaintances is Aviad Sharara, who snapped the photo at his 30th birthday party. He recalled that it had been personally important to both men to attend this celebration.
"He was an amazing man and educator," Sharara said of Ben-Gal. "He was very connected to the people of Israel, to the land and to the Torah of Israel. We saw a clear stance, a battle for the Jewish identity of the people of Israel, for his link to the holy sites of Israel. We need to reinforce our Jewish identity and never be ashamed of who we are."
"We need to take action in this reality, guided by these principles," Sharara added. "Both Itamar and Raziel were in touch with their Jewish identities. Both were educators, both settled the land of Israel, both were connected to the people of Israel, each in his own unique way. I pray that God will put an end to our troubles."
Yogev Cohen, another friend of Itamar's, was having trouble accepting the bitter news. "It is very hard to talk about a close friend who was murdered just because he was a Jew," Cohen said. "Rabbi Itamar possessed a special combination of manners and wisdom. He was one of the best students to come out of the Har Bracha yeshiva, which teaches its students to adhere both to the Torah and love of man. He was a good man with a heart of gold and a keen eye. An exemplary father to his four children and a wonderful husband to his wife Miriam, both exceptional educators."
"Itamar was an idealist. He was among the founders of the Har Bracha community," Cohen continued. "He was a wise student, the kind that makes everyone around him love the Torah, love the people, love the land. He was lit up from within and possessed a rare love for life. He would walk down the street and sing and play music to himself."
"Just last week," Cohen added, "we were talking and he told me how much he loved his students and how much he enjoyed teaching them the combination of Torah and science. If you were to ask him what was most important to him, he would say, 'Torah, science, settling the land of Israel and expanding Har Bracha.'"
Yoni Hayisraeli, the head of the Har Bracha settlement, noted Monday that the community was "pained and shocked by the murder of Itamar Ben-Gal, our beloved friend."
"He was murdered by animals, no-good bastards," he said. "Itamar was a special, dynamic, energetic young man. He was full of life. He dedicated his life to education, to enhancing life, and we intend on continuing on his path."
