Instead of it being a well-wisher, they opened the door to a 19 year-old terrorist, who brought with him a knife that he had purchased earlier that day.
The terrorist, Omar al-Abed – aptly called a “beast” by Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu -viciously killed the baby’s grandfather, 70 year-old Yosef Salomon as well as Yosef’s son, Elad and daughter, Chaya.
Six days later, the family still in mourning, gathered yet again for the baby’s Bris ceremony. Before the Bris, PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Sarah Netanyahu came to pay their respects to the mourning family.
Hundreds of well wishers from all over the country, including strangers, came to comfort the mourning family. Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel,who was friends with the grandfather, officiated the ceremony.
Rabbi Lau said, “A baby boy has been born – through the happiness of this boy, may the entire family be comforted. I wish with all my heart that this Bris will signify existence and life for the family.”
Fighting back tears, the father of the baby, Shmuel, who lost his father,brother and sister, said: “The baby is named Ari Yosef, after the deceased. Yosef after my father and the baby’s grandfather, Yosef #Salomon and Ari, which means lion, because my brother Elad and my sister Chaya fought like lions with the evil terrorist.”
“We’ve chosen to hold such a public event so that the Salomon family will be remembered as a happy & united family, not a mournful and torn family.” Shmuel continued.
Immediately after the Bris ceremony, the baby’s mother Chen, Michal, wife of Elad and Grandmother Tova, wife of Yosef, all said the ‘Gomel’ prayer – for having survived the massacre in Halamish.
