New Jerusalem square named in honor of victims of Arab terror

Old City’s Square of Heroism honors Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi and Aaron Bennett, killed in a 2015 Palestinian stabbing attack.

By Gil Tanenbaum, TPS

The Square of Heroism in Jerusalem was inaugurated today and will be named after the late Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi and Aaron Bennett. The two men were murdered six years ago in a stabbing attack in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

The inauguration of the square took place on Sunday at the intersection of Al Wad (Hagai) streets, and Hoya Dela Rosa in the Old City, in the presence of the Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Leon and the families of the two men.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening October 3, 2015, a knife-wielding Arab attacked Aharon Bennett, his wife, their 2-year-old son, and infant as they were on their way to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Rabbi Lavi, an Old City resident and IDF reserve officer, came by with his gun to try and help but was stabbed by the terrorist who seized his weapon. Lavi and Bennett were both stabbed in the upper body and died in the hospital.

Rabbi Lavi was the father of seven and lived in the Old City for the 23 years before his death. He was a rabbi at Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim.

Rabbi Lavi was buried in the Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem. He was survived by his wife and seven children.

The Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon said, “The inauguration of Heroes’ Square is a symbol of courage and a sign of appreciation for the murdered, who defended their bodies and paid for it with their lives. The city of Jerusalem salutes their heroism. Jerusalem and its inhabitants, the capital of Israel and its people, is our pride.”

Aryeh Koenig, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, said, “It is our duty to pass on to future generations Jewish heroism, the building of a healthy Jewish soul, in addition to building Jerusalem in spirit and on a physical level.”