Hallel Ariel, pictured with her mother
Hallel Ariel, pictured with her motherCourtesy of the family


On Wednesday afternoon a Torah scroll donated in memory of Hallel Yaffa Ariel Hy"d was dedicated at a Kiryat Arba synagogue.

Two businessmen, Shlomi and Yossi Amir, decided to fund the writing of five Torah scrolls for five bereaved families in memory of their loved ones. The families include some whose sons fell in battle, the Riven family whose son died in the Carmel fire and the Ariel family whose 13-year-old daughter, Hallel Yaffa, was brutally murdered while sleeping in her bed a few months ago.

Rina Ariel, Hallel's mother, said to Arutz Sheva that this was a very moving gesture for her. "It was simply amazing. We received a call from two brothers whom we didn't know who said that they are willing to donate a Torah scroll in memory of Hallel. We were delighted but we thought it would take some time and suddenly we were told that the Torah scroll is ready and that they are planning an event in honor of its completion together with another four Torah scrolls for bereaved families. Yesterday we stood there with the families of three fallen soldiers and the family of the 16-year-old volunteer who died in the Carmel disaster.

She said that the Torah scroll would be dedicated at the outpost which had been established in memory of Hallel Yaffa. "We designated the scroll for the Mitzpe Avichai outpost erected in memory of Hallel, which has been evacuated. The Torah scroll will await its rebuilding and in the meantime it will be in the synagogue at Givat Mamre.

Rina is gratified by the success of the Headstart project to dedicate a visitor's center in memory of Hallel and says that "The people of Israel have dedicated themselves, it is quite amazing. We didn't believe that we could do something like this, we got a warm embrace from the people of Israel."