The Arutz-7 community lost an old and dear friend, Yechezkel Goldberg, in yesterday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Goldberg, a 42-year-old social worker from Beitar Illit, was the former host of Arutz-7's English-language Radio program "Youth Beat," dealing with youth in crisis. He hosted the show until 2001.
In addition, Chezi was also a periodic contributor to Israel National News.com Opinion page (his archives can be seen here: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/author.php?id=111). In his honor, we have reposted an article he wrote for the INN Opinion page in 2002, in reaction to a terrorist attack that took place minutes from his home. It can be read here: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=3275.
One day before he was murdered, Chezi Goldberg prerecorded an interview for Israel National Radio's Aliya Show, hosted by Tamar Yonah and Yishai Flesiher. The interview will be broadcast Monday, February 2 on http://www.israelnationalradio.com.
Chezi Goldberg's funeral began 10:00pm Thursday night in Beitar Illit, outside of the synagogue of the Bostoner Chassidim. The city's distinguished rabbis all eulogized him, as parents and family listened over the phone from their places of residence abroad.
Rabbi Avraham Stern, who knew Chezi personally as the rabbi of the synagogue he attended, along with friends who eulogized him, emphasized Goldberg's intimate commitment to helping youth in crisis. He was not judgmental and took a personal interest in the lives of many people, it was repeatedly noted. Chezi Goldberg was mourned as both a giving member of the community and a very involved family man, who could be heard singing into the night on the Sabbath, and who had a tremendous love of Torah learning.
Rabbi Yechezkel Goldberg leaves behind a wife and seven children.
In the Jewish World Review of December 3, 2001 (18 Kislev 5762), Chezi penned an article entitled, "Because, If You Don't Cry, Who Will?" In that article he described his experience and thoughts shortly after a serious series of terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.
"When an attack happens, in the heat of the moment, we frantically check to see if someone we know has been hurt or killed. And then, if we find out that 'our friends and family are safe,' we sigh a deep sigh of relief, grunt and grumble about the latest tragic event and then, we continue with our robotic motions and go on with our lives," Goldberg wrote at the time. "We have not lost our minds, my friends. We have lost our hearts. And that is why we keep on losing our lives. ...The most effective way for us to stop the carnage in our midst is to wake up and to react to it from our hearts. How can we DEMAND that the Creator stop the tragedy when most of us react like robots when tragedy strikes?"
In addition, Chezi was also a periodic contributor to Israel National News.com Opinion page (his archives can be seen here: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/author.php?id=111). In his honor, we have reposted an article he wrote for the INN Opinion page in 2002, in reaction to a terrorist attack that took place minutes from his home. It can be read here: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=3275.
One day before he was murdered, Chezi Goldberg prerecorded an interview for Israel National Radio's Aliya Show, hosted by Tamar Yonah and Yishai Flesiher. The interview will be broadcast Monday, February 2 on http://www.israelnationalradio.com.
Chezi Goldberg's funeral began 10:00pm Thursday night in Beitar Illit, outside of the synagogue of the Bostoner Chassidim. The city's distinguished rabbis all eulogized him, as parents and family listened over the phone from their places of residence abroad.
Rabbi Yechezkel Goldberg leaves behind a wife and seven children.
In the Jewish World Review of December 3, 2001 (18 Kislev 5762), Chezi penned an article entitled, "Because, If You Don't Cry, Who Will?" In that article he described his experience and thoughts shortly after a serious series of terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.
"When an attack happens, in the heat of the moment, we frantically check to see if someone we know has been hurt or killed. And then, if we find out that 'our friends and family are safe,' we sigh a deep sigh of relief, grunt and grumble about the latest tragic event and then, we continue with our robotic motions and go on with our lives," Goldberg wrote at the time. "We have not lost our minds, my friends. We have lost our hearts. And that is why we keep on losing our lives. ...The most effective way for us to stop the carnage in our midst is to wake up and to react to it from our hearts. How can we DEMAND that the Creator stop the tragedy when most of us react like robots when tragedy strikes?"