By Scott Brinton
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a terrorist detonated a bomb nearby. Shrapnel flew in all directions, slicing through Ilan's legs. His daughter, Oryia, age 1, died in her mother's arms. His son, Lidol, 11, lay on the street, dead as well.
Astoundingly, Ilan, 38, survived the attack. But, in all, suicide bombers killed eight of his family members that terrible day in two separate attacks.
Emotionally devastated, Ilan shut the world out. Afraid to walk the streets, he remained at home for days. He nearly lost his car-wash business. Then an Israeli aid organization called the One Family Fund intervened.
The group, which has provided counseling, housing and general support for more than 1,800 terror victims -- no matter their religion or ethnicity -- stopped at Temple Beth Am in Merrick last Sunday evening. It was their final destination on an 18-day, multi-state fund-raising tour that began in San Diego. The group raises money by appealing to Jewish communities throughout the world. Instead of a letter, it sends terror victims to tell their harrowing stories. Thus far, the group has raised $7.5 million since its founding in 2001.
Avithu Cohen, the group's director in Israel, began the One Family Fund with Marc Belzberg, of Jerusalem, after a Palestinian sniper shot Cohen's father 15 times, killing him. "There is a lot of suffering" in Israel, Cohen said. After his father's death, he needed to do something to help.
The Temple Beth Am presentation began with a 20-minute film showing the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Men, women, children of all ages, standing with arms outstretched, wailing in pain, blood splattered over their bodies. Smoke billowing. Sirens blaring. Confusion and death everywhere.
The audience of roughly 200 then broke into small groups to meet with six terror victims individually. Ilan was among those who spoke at Temple Beth Am, which invited temples and synagogues from across the South Shore -- including all nine from Merrick and Bellmore -- to take part.
Ilan had a message he wanted to convey. "Every citizen of Israel is a combat soldier fighting against the terrorists," he said through a translator during an interview.
Rabbi Ronald Brown, Temple Beth Am's spiritual leader, said no Israeli can feel safe while terrorists run loose. "There are no civilians in Israel," he said. "They're all targets."
Shery Ben-Aoya, 21, lives in Natanya, Israel. She was a model of success, serving as a first lieutenant in the Israeli Air Force. She was an intelligence officer who spoke four languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English and French. Then, she attended a celebration at the Park Hotel in Natanya. A terrorist walked into the reception and blew himself up. Ben-Aoya's father was killed, along with 20 others. Shrapnel ripped into her side and head. She forgot how to speak, and she couldn't walk.
One Family provided rehabilitation services for her. Now she speaks Hebrew and a little English, with a deep slur. And she walks. She even dances. She's also taking horseback-riding lessons, paid for by One Family.
Yossi Apter's son, Noam, 22, was studying at a yeshiva between Hebron and Beersheva. Noam stood in the dining hall's kitchen when terrorists walked in the back door and started shooting. In his final act, Noam shut the door between the kitchen and dining room, where more than 100 people were eating a meal. He locked the door. Terrorists shot him dead, but, his father said, he saved many people outside, who were able to escape.
Yossi loved Noam as more than a son. He was a friend, he said. Noam was one of 10 children. He had a twin sister who died young from a virus.
Noam's death haunts his father now. "I couldn't forget the minute at 2 a.m. Friday night when the rabbi and the army officer came and woke me up and told me Noam was killed," he said.
Yossi rushed to his wife to tell her the sad news. "God was with us until now, and He will be with us from now," she said.
Since September 2000, 929 people have died in terrorist attacks in Israel, and more than 6,000 have been wounded. To learn more about One Family, log onto www.onefamilyfund.org.
