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Double tragedy: Israeli father collapses, passes away while mourning death of infant son

After his baby tragically dies, Yitzchak Meir Weiss collapsed and passes away during the week-long mourning period.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A young family in Bnei Brak was struck twice by tragedy in the space of three days when the father passed away suddenly Sunday while sitting shiva for his five-month-old son.

Yitzchak Meir Weiss, 31, collapsed at home towards the beginning of the week-long mourning period mandated by Jewish law.

Emergency medical personnel from both Hatzalah and Magen David Adom rushed to the scene and attempted to resuscitate him before taking him to Sheva Tel Hashomer Hospital in nearby Ramat Gan. However, doctors there were soon sadly informing his family that he had passed away.

Weiss, an Orthodox Jew, worked for the United Torah Judaism party in the last elections. A friend who worked with him on the campaign, Yoni Eisenstein, explained that the tragedy was even deeper than met the eye, as the baby was an only child.

“This is an incomprehensible story,” he told Israel Hayom. “Yitzchak was a man beloved by everyone, he always had a smile on his face…. The story of his son who died was shocking – it was his oldest and only child who had been born after much anticipation.”

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The exact reason for the young father’s collapse is unknown. The funeral will take place Monday evening in Rehovot.

Weiss’ son was found unconscious at the home of his caretaker on Thursday and was rushed to the local Bnei Brak hospital, Maayanei Hayeshua. The medics tried to resuscitate him on the way to the hospital but doctors were forced to declare his death.

The baby was apparently the victim of SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The cause of SIDS is still unknown, although many doctors and researchers believe it is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood.

The risk of SIDS appears to peak between two and four months, decreasing after six months, and occurs more often in male infants than females.