Rabbi Eitan Shnerb
Rabbi Eitan ShnerbFlash 90

Rabbi Eitan Shnerb, the Rina Shnerb, who was murdered in a bomb blast on Friday, recounted the terrorist attack in an interview with Niv Raskin on Channel 12 News.

Rabbi Shnerb and his son Dvir remain hospitalized after they were both injured in the same attack in which Rina was murdered.

"The situation has greatly improved on Saturday," he said of his son's condition. "He was anesthetized and on a breathing machine, and now he is communicating on his own."

"It all started when I took the kids on a trip in the land of Israel. They are both bigger now and I wanted to spend more personal time with them. We reached the Ein Bubin spring next to Dolev, parked the car, and went down the path. At the end of the trail there was a big explosion. It was clear to me from the start that this was a large bomb.

"The place was empty. There was one car which we were looking for, but the place was empty. It was not normal because the place is usually filled with people on Friday. It was a little strange to us that there were no people.

"There was black in my eyes. Soot was everywhere. Dvir shouted 'Dad' and I shouted 'Rina, Rina.' I went to her and after a few seconds I saw that there was nothing I could do," the bereaved father said. "I am a professional medic, and Dvir is also in a medical course. We realized there was nothing to do and then we strengthened each other. Already in the first few seconds Dvir performed amazingly. There are no words. He told me to call the rescue forces. I called while we continued to help each other. It was just seconds after the attack that we saw that Rina was no longer with us."

"I hugged and kissed her. I told her we were with her and we wouldn't leave her. Dvir and I reinforced each other and said we would come out strong and not despair.

"Dvir was hurt much more than I was. He had a lot of bleeding and yet in those moments he told me to take the clothes off to make it easier for paramedics to take care of us. He also told me: 'Dad, don't tell mom about Rina right away so she won't go into shock.'"

Rabbi Shneb said that it was clear to him that Rina was killed instantly and did not suffer. "She was peaceful and we could say goodbye to her. It took a long time for them to get to us. I said that the best thing to do with be to use the longest tzizit tassle as a tourniquet to stop Dvir's bleeding. In the ambulance we were told that was what saved him. Obviously, G-d saved him. Rina absorbed all of the explosion to save us."

"I told her, 'We really love you.' She is a martyr. We believe she wants us to grow stronger and not weaken and to strengthen the people of Israel."