News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) The family of slain Jewish Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl has requested that one of the seven dances with the Torah, to be celebrated this Saturday night, be dedicated in his memory. The initiative is being spearheaded by Pearl’s father Prof. Yehudah Pearl who seeks to unite thousands of Jews worldwide through song. Daniel Pearl’s birthday was on Simchat Torah which was celebrated on Saturday. He would have turned 46 this year.

“Knowing that thousands of Jews, particularly youngsters, will be singing about being happy gives our family tremendous strength,” Pearl said. Prof. Pearl also expressed his gratitude “that all Jews, no matter what affiliation, show unity to prove that we are a resilient nation—no matter how much you try to bring us down, we prevail. The hakafah (circuit) will be a great merit for Daniel, to raise up his soul.”

Pearl was murdered in February of 2002 by Muslim terrorists. A video released by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated grouped showed Pearl being decapitated. His last words included the now-famous statement, “My father’s Jewish, my mother’s Jewish, I’m Jewish.”