Yesterday was the 11th of Cheshvan according to the lunar calendar, which is the day of Rachel Imeinu’s Yartzeit, the day of her death.
I would like to dedicate this post to Naava Appelbaum, a bride who will forever be twenty years old.
Naava met with her father for a coffee at Café Hillel the night before her wedding. A suicide bomber walked in and with one swift move took the life of Naava and her father, David. She was engaged for a month. Her fiance collapsed in the emergency room when he learned of the tragedy that took place.
Standing over her corpse in the cemetery Naavas’ fiancé took the wedding ring he was going to give her under the marriage canopy and threw it into the grave.
The entire nation wept that day along with the Appelbaums.
Naavas’ bridal gown was taken apart and was made into a Parochet (Arc Coveing) at Rachel’s tomb. Many women have since cried into her gown begging G-d for mercy and peace.
Naava has become the symbol of beautiful dreams and love being cut short by terror and war.
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| Naava and her father David |
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| Naava's friends at her grave |
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| Naava and her father after death |
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| Naavas' gown as a Parochet at Kever Rachel |
