We all mourn the devastating loss of Avraham Azulay, a young man whose life was brutally taken by Hamas terrorists while he was operating a construction vehicle in Gaza. In a moment that revealed both his courage and his character, Avraham fought back as the attackers tried to take him hostage—refusing to be just another pawn in their campaign of terror. For his defiance, he was murdered.
Avraham was newly married. Just three months ago, he and his wife Ruth stood under the chuppah, full of hope, ready to build a future together. That future has now been shattered. Ruth, now a widow, carries a double grief—her brother was also killed in combat in Gaza. One family. Two lives stolen.
These are the kinds of losses we’ve read about in Holocaust memorials, where entire families were devastated and young lives were extinguished before they could fully bloom. This is not simply personal tragedy—it is a communal and historical wound, a loss that echoes through generations and across borders.
Avraham Azulay was not just a victim. He was a hero—a man who stood in the face of terror and refused to surrender. His strength, his sacrifice, and his love for life will never be forgotten.
Our hearts are broken—and they should be. We must feel this loss deeply. We must carry it with us, not as a fleeting sorrow, but as a sacred responsibility to remember, to honor, and to seek a world worthy of the lives we’ve lost.
May Avraham’s memory be a blessing.
May Ruth, and all who mourn with her, be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
And may we soon see the day when swords are turned into plowshares, when the hostages come home, and when peace reigns in Jerusalem and across the world.
If you would like a shorter version for a social post or a memorial notice, I’d be glad to help with that too.