With the New Year Comes Chance for Clarity

I spent the High Holidays at Chabad of North Fulton with Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz. He leads a very engaging service and his sermons and discussions are always inspiring. Not surprising, much of his talks revolved around Israel and Oct. 7. One of his stories struck very close to home with me and I thought I would share.

One of the themes that Rabbi Minkowicz discussed was that of Israeli resolve and moral clarity. He spoke about an IDF soldier, Dvir Ressler (51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade) who died on Oct. 7. He fell on a grenade in order to save six other soldier’s lives. During shiva, Dvir’s mom heard that the six members of his platoon were going to come to support her and pay their respects to the man who saved their lives. As bereaved as she was, she invited neighbors over to her house on that shiva day to plan a sort of welcome “party” for these men who were still actively fighting to protect Israel, so that the day, for them, would not be filled with mourning. Who does this? Who has the moral clarity and fortitude to accomplish this task at hand?

Why did this story have such a profound effect on me? Earlier that day, I had received an email from Aharon Klein with well wishes for a sweet, healthy and peaceful new year. An email that I treasure each year. Aharon and I met briefly 14 years ago, and he still sends my family well wishes every year at Rosh Hashanah. We met when I invited him to speak at the first Atlanta Friends of the IDF gala dinner in 2010. I invited him to speak because his son, a major in the IDF, is a legend and hero. Major Roi Klein z”l died in 2006 in the Lebanon war when his platoon was ambushed in the garden behind a home. The garden was sealed and when the entire platoon entered, the terrorist lobbed a grenade into the garden and Roi dove on it to save the men of his platoon. I don’t think it was mere coincidence that Roi came up in my life, twice in one day, to remind me of the resolve, tenacity, heroism and moral clarity of my brothers and sisters in Israel. But the story does not end there.

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After services, I spent a few minutes talking with Rabbi Minkowicz. Right at that moment, I couldn’t remember Roi’s name, but I told my rabbi that his speech reverberated with me because I had just received an email from Aharon Klein, that day, whose son was put in the same position and reacted exactly the same. Rabbi Minkowicz immediately responded, “You mean Roi Klein z”l.” I was surprised at his response, “How did you know him?” He said that he was going to tell another story to augment his first but ran out of time. A story about Matan Abergil z”l. He, too, lost his life on Oct. 7 when he threw himself on a grenade to save six other soldiers. This story adds that one of Matan’s teachers told his parents that his hero was Roi and if he were in the same situation, he would, and did, do what Roi did. Again, I ask, how does a society raise their children in such adverse conditions with such moral fortitude?

So, what was my job in all this? Clearly to take a moment to share these indescribable acts of courage and valor with an unwavering moral compass to others. It is a decision that none of our children should ever have to make – no one’s child on any side of a conflict should ever be put in that predicament. Two children on the same day (that we know of), both of whom knew and revered their hero, Roi Klein z”l. What can we do? Thank them for the lives they saved, let them live through our memory of their heroism, and continue to pay respects to their family. Shosh and Aharon Klein, thank you for staying in my life all these years so that I can have the honor of being included in keeping your son Roi Klein z”l alive.

Now, let’s welcome the New Year.