On July 31, 2002, a bomb packed with shrapnel was placed in a bag in a crowded Hebrew University cafeteria on its Mt. Scopus campus. The explosion killed nine people - four Israelis and five foreign nationals - and injured 85. Hamas claimed responsibility. Among the victims were Benjamin Blutstein, 25, of Harrisburg, PA; Marla Bennett, 24, from San Diego, CA.  Marla and Ben were both students on the Pardes Institute's Senior Educator program and, as a rabbinical student studying in Jerusalem at that same time, we often found ourselves siting at the same Shabbat table or drinking coffee in the same cafes.  The community of English speaking students in various programs around Jerusalem at any given time is large and yet we all somehow know each other.  Even though, Marla and Ben were not close friends, I have warm memories of both of them and the brutality and tragedy of their untimely murders devastated us all.  They were vibrant, young,idealistic and very loved with so much in their lives to look forward to. 

May their memories always endure for a blessing!

- Rabbi Marc