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At Mercaz Harav mass funeral, grief but little talk of revenge By Nadav Shragai Eight silent, crying groups of people huddled over the eight bodies laid out on wooden benches outside the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem on Friday. The dead were wrapped in the same prayer shawls they had worn the previous evening. Students and alumni surrounded them in the yard, the balcony overlooking the yard, the sidewalks and nearby streets. Everyone who ever studied here felt bound to come to the yeshiva on Friday - the yeshiva that had become the wellspring for the religious Zionist movement throughout Israel. Advertisement It was from Mercaz Harav that Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, his son Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook and their successor, Rabbi Avraham Shapira, sent tens of thousands of their students after the Six-Day War to establish religious communities throughout Israel. Rabbi Shapira died just a few months ago. Many alumni attended the funeral: yeshiva heads, Knesset members, academics, senior army officers and many more. Prof. Yaakov Neeman, MK Nissan Slomiansky, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, MK Effi Eitam, to name a few. "We are part of this tribe," they said, speaking out of enormous pain but also with an unconcealed common bond. A few went to the rooms they had once lived in, trying to console the students who could not bring themselves to join the funeral procession. The first eulogy was given by Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, who just six months ago stepped into his father's shoes to become the yeshiva's chief rabbi. "This massacre is the continuation of the 1929 massacre [in Hebron]," he said. "They hit us in the holy of holies, they defiled the sanctuary, but after we weep over this conflagration we shall overcome and continue on our path - the path of strengthening the world of Torah and faith, and the struggle for the Land of Israel. We ask our holy ones to pray for all of us, pray for the blind eyes to open." The most moving eulogy was given by the head of the young yeshiva, where five of the victims studied. Rabbi Yerachmiel Weiss spoke to God, arguing, or perhaps discussing, with him: "What joy you have given us, what righteous ones you took, what beauty, innocence and greatness you have gathered into your garden," he said. He praised the qualities of each of his students. "How can one eulogize two, three, four, five and one graduate on Rosh Hodesh Adar?" he said, referring to the celebration of the beginning of the traditionally joyous month. "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" There was little talk of revenge at the funeral. Only a former chief rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, mentioned it - someone else read out the rabbi's eulogy because of his poor health. It spoke of "avenging God's name quickly, and of the heroes of the spirit who were murdered with their Talmuds open before them. When there are accusations against the people of Israel, God takes the righteous in order to atone for the sins. They are roses who were picked and thanks to them God will have mercy on us." Bookmark to del.icio.us   State policy Olmert approves plan for 750 new homes in West Bank settlement of Givat Ze'ev. Sticking to his story Director of 'Jenin, Jenin' swears there are no falsehoods in his movie.

Today Online Palestinians: Hamas, Hezbollah cooperated on Jerusalem attack Responses: 183 Shin Bet chief: Chances of fresh Intifada are low Responses: 74 Gideon Levy: Mercaz Harav produced the rabbis who led the vilest form of Zionism Responses: 141 Editorial: Peace now, or eternal conflict later Responses: 53 Kuwaiti analyst: Best if Israel, not U.S., destroys Iran nukes Responses: 59 Jewish Agency to start anti-terror drive in wake of J'lem attack Responses: 43 More Headlines 23:30 Stricken J'lem yeshiva: PM not welcome to visit 23:04 Shin Bet chief: Chances of fresh Intifada in 2008 are low 21:17 FM to U.S. envoy: Conditions not ripe for forming Palestinian state 01:46 Amos Oz: Left wing can return to power in next elections 22:48 Minister Boim accuses IAEA chief of serving as agent for Iran 22:08 'Jenin, Jenin' director tells court film based entirely on truth 00:41 Palestinians protest Goldie Hawn appearance at JNF event 18:03 PM okays 750 new settlement homes, says fits state policy 16:38 Study: Boston's intermarried 'as observant' as Reform Jews 20:21 High Court rejects petitions to overturn Ramon cabinet appointment 00:46 Second victim of ambush on IDF jeep laid to rest in Ashkelon 00:16 Holocaust museum to honor Helena Bonham Carter's grandfather for saving Jews Previous Editions Select Day 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb

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