Rabbi Dasberg (archive)
Rabbi Dasberg (archive)Israel news photo

Rabbi Uri Dasberg, one of three casualties of a fatal crash Tuesday, was buried Wednesday and leaves behind two grandchildren, whose mother and father were killed in a terrorist attack.

Rabbi Dasberg, 65, of Alon Shvut, Yocheved Altshuler, 55, of Elazar and Elana Olach, 55, of Efrat, were killed when Dasberg's car apparently veered from its lane on Highway 60 south of Jerusalem, between Neve Daniel and Elazar, and was rammed by a truck, hitting another car.

He and his wife Yehudit raised the two infant children of Yaron and Effie Ungar, who were orphaned when their parents were gunned down by Arab terrorists in 1996 while driving near Beit Shemesh.

Effie. the daughter of the Dasbergs, a graduate of Emunah College of Art and Technology in Jerusalem, was already known at her young age as the creator of a newspaper cartoon series for children. It was based on her toddler son Dvir's adventures and the series were  published posthumously by her parents in several books which became household words for Israeli children.

Rabbi Yisrael Rosen of the Tzomet Institute that pioneers in halakhic solutions for technological problems, said that he and Rabbi Dasberg, who headed the Alon Shvut institute with him,  ”walked hand in hand for 35 years" and  had worked together since the founding of Tzomet.  Rabbi Dasberg also edited a weekly Torah booklet that is distributed in synagogues all over Israel.

“He was a man of great kindness and as an editor of the Talmudic Encyclopedia, was perhaps one of the best editors of our generation.”

Rabbi Dasberg was so modest that he eschewed the title of “rabbi” despite his having been ordained as such at the Mercaz HaRav and Kerem b’Yavneh yeshivas, Rabbi Rosen added.

Almagor, the Association of Terror Victims, published the following message:

"The activists and members of the Almagor Terror Victims Association are shocked by the death of the esteemed Rabbi Uri Dasberg ("Reb Uri") and cry with his family and friends over the sudden loss.  Rabbi Dasberg's past and present students in Israel and in the Diaspora, those who studied in his presence and those who listened to his words from afar, mourn this very dear man, who dealt warmly with all; whose modesty was as great as his wisdom; who was so dedicated to his wife, children, and grandchildren; a great sage who accepted the afflictions that he and his wife bore -- the death of his daughter and son-in-law -- with love, in the spirit of the greatest ancients who most excelled in their reverence of God.
 
In addition to being a great scholar, secretary of the Talmudic Encylcopedia project, and editor of "Techumin," Reb Uri fought with dedication for his people against terrorism and evil, and worked forcefully and unflinchingly with his wife, Yehudit, to maintain the dignity of Israel, in activism throughout our country, in private meetings, at public gatherings, and through educating his children by example.  His dedication to the nation of Israel was exceptional and came hand-in-hand with his great store of Torah scholarship.
 
We mourn his loss."