‘A holy man’: Rabbi killed in Palestinian stabbing attack laid to rest

“I can’t digest it. I don’t know how to tell the children,” his wife said.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Rabbi Shai Ohayon, 39, was buried the day of his death at the Segula cemetery in Petah Tikvah on Wednesday. He was stabbed to death by a Palestinian man in the afternoon while walking home after learning at a kollel, or religious institute for advanced study, in the town of Kfar Saba.

Ohayon had just been dropped off at a shuttle stop around 1:00 p.m. and was walking home, a distance of only a few hundred meters, when he was set upon by a Palestinian terrorist. The terrorist, searching for a Jewish victim, chose Ohayon because of his religious Jewish attire, Israel Hayom reports.

The rabbi suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper body. He was found lying on the street in the middle of the day. He told someone who arrived to help that he’d been stabbed and muttered “terrorist, terrorist” before losing consciousness.

The victim was evacuated to Beilinson hospital after first aid was administered but was pronounced dead at the hospital. He leaves behind a wife of 14 years and four children, ages four-to-13.

His wife, Sivan, said “I can’t digest it. I don’t know how to tell the children.”

His father-in-law, Ofer Korez, said, “He was a wonderful son-in-law, a good father to his children and a good husband to his wife. He was like my son.”

Joseph David, a friend of Ohayon who rode with him on the bus, told Ynet, “The Blessed One took a holy man, he was killed sanctifying God’s name.”

Rabbi Ohayon “studied and also worked and supported his family with dignity. He had tickets to Uman and he waited to see if it would be possible to fly there. He was a righteous man, an amazing man,” David said.

Ohayon belonged to the Breslov hasidic branch of Judaism. Uman in Ukraine is where the founder of Breslov hasidism is buried.

The terrorist, 46, whose name is Khalil Dweikat, is a Palestinian from Nablus (Shechem). He was arrested shortly afterwards by police who were alerted by citizens chasing the terrorist. Dweikat was found with a large kitchen knife on him.