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Our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those murdered in the horrific tragedy yesterday, and to the entire community at Virginia Tech.

They are like a tree cut down in the prime of their life.

Hashem, please comfort all of us.

About the author

Rabbi Yonah

34 Comments

  • And.. condolences to the family of Professor Liviu Librescu, who gave his life for others

    Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, gave his life yesterday at Virginia Tech, so that others might live. The Jewish, Romanian born teacher survived the Holocaust. He was sent to a Russian labor camp as a child and saved by the townspeople. He later became an aeronautical engineer in Bucharest, and a secret Zionist.

    In 1978, he emigrated to Israel, and in 1986, Librescu visited Virginia Tech during a sabbatical and never left. He was Israel’s unofficial “ambassador” in his adopted Blacksburg Virginia town of few Jews or Israelis, but many Muslims and international students.

    Yesterday, during a masssacre that left 33 dead, Librescu threw himself in front of the shooter, when Cho Seung-Hui attempted to enter the teacher’s classroom. The students fled and escaped through the windows. Librescu was killed by the gunman “but all the students lived – because of him,” Virginia Tech student Asael Arad told Israel Army Radio.

    Several of Librescu’s other students sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he blocked the gunman’s way and saved their lives.

    He will be flown back to Israel by the Israeli government and burind outisde of T.A. later this week.

  • Wow that is really frekin’ sad, to have survived something so terrible as the Holocaust only to die at the hands of something so banal: American gun violence.

  • It is very sad. Baruch Dayan Haemet.
    However, only when there is proper gun control in the U.S.A. will these killings stop.

  • Just horrible. A great sadness over America.

    I do hope that moronic TV Rabbi will not milk this one, eh Grand Mufti? You know, I wrote about the emptyness and debated this about college life today, it was only a matter of time, the mysoginist culture that man must have a woman, and is judged by this…

  • Even if there was “proper gun control”, unfortunately the criminals will be able to get guns!!

    Thats why law abiding citizens need to be able to get them too.

  • Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

    Rabbi Yo & Larry – the picture, post, and comment had me close to tears at my desk.
    A sad, sad day.

  • Nathan, Dave and Ricks,
    Only assholes could say this horrific tragedy was because of poor gun control laws or empty college culture.

    This was about a sick, derranged, psychotic sociopathic individual who acted due his mental illness.

    Baruch Dyan Emes.

  • Heck I am talking to my good friend GM, lol.Heck now sh’es putting words in my mouth. It has nothing to do with guns laws, the maniac would have gotten the gun. It would be one thing if you could really control things like border smuggeling.

    Shoot, read my post bef. calling me an asshole your highness.

  • YOUR AN ASSHOLE WHETHER I READ YOUR POSTS OR NOT..

    “…college life today, it was only a matter of time…”

    MOTHERFUCKER!

  • wow, well unfortunately, as you prove Chutzpah, there are many people who are unable to connect the dots. Just go read what is being written outside the pandering sappy mainstream press about this. We get what we ask for. It is that simple. When we want a society that values everything $$ wise above people and turns people into commodities and thereby reduces any emotion in them into nothingness, we are bound to see this kind of activity. This is not Nathan’s ideas, I am just echoing the thoughts of many other more educated men and women.

    Is it a tragedy? Yes

    Am I at all surprised? No

    Don’t be so simple minded to think this is some deranged idiot on the loose. Nothing is ever that simple.

  • here is but one example…

    “The university is shocked and indeed horrified,” explained Steger, after it became clear that what had happened on his campus Monday was worse than the carnage at Columbine High School in 1999 or at the University of Texas in 1966.

    The trouble with shock and horror is that it does not often translate into contemplation, let alone serious reflection on the state of a nation in which such an incident can occur — and, more troublingly, in which no one can suggest that the killings were unimaginable.

    Dude wake up…

  • what a dufus, i was parodying Rabbi Shmuli Boteach for my pal Grand Mufti, why is this person so obtuse? I was not commenting on you, leave me the fuck alone already fer chissakes.

  • WTF Nathan? This individual was an immigrant to the U.S. who had an abusive childhood. What does that have to do with a “society that values everything $$ wise above people and turns people into commodities” ???

    You sound like male who justifies his lack of material success by claiming to be “religious and spiritual.” Are you going to blame the President for this next? You don’t like the “state of the Nation”…leave, go find one where this doesn’t happen. Maybe you should stop “echoing” and start thinking, although I’m sure you left your brain outside the doorstep of some Baal Tshuva Yeshiva.

    And Jobber, what an appropriate post to put a parody of a Rabbi on. Motherfucker.

    Let this post rest. Baruch Dyan Emes.

  • WTF, the storm tropper has spoken. You cannot comment on American society anymore.

    No comment, just emigrate. (wish it were that simple).

  • Chutzpah, will you please stop talking to Jobber? Permanently? Jobber, please do not talk to Chutzpah anymore. This little fight keeps hijacking threads that have nothing to do with your fight.

    And both of you, please don’t respond to my comment. Just do it.

  • I personally think the shidduch crisis is to blame.

    But seriously, I’m sorry to have to do this, but we’ve all asked really nicely, and it’s clear that we need to take further action. In the future, any dialogue between Steves Rick or Chutzpah speaking negatively about the other one will be deleted. Nekudah. Sof ha’inyan.

  • GOD BLESS THE VICTIMS OF THIS HORRIBLE unconscienable act. I am praying for you all….

  • great post, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this sector don’t understand this. You should continue your writing. I am sure, you have a great readers’ base already!