As Shabbat approached late Friday afternoon in Lod, Israel, hundreds of mourners attended the hastily arranged funeral of Rina Shnerb, 17, who was killed earlier in the day in a terrorist bombing at a natural spring outside the central West Bank settlement of Dolev. Her father, Eitan, a rabbi in Lod and a battalion rabbi in the Israel Defense Forces, and her brother Dvir, 19, were recovering from their wounds after being taken by military helicopter to a Jerusalem hospital.
The girl was killed when a homemade bomb was detonated as she, her father and her brother were walking to a natural spring near Dolev, a town in the West Bank. The hilly area contains orchards, springs and olive groves, and is popular with hikers from around Israel.
Rina’s uncle, Shmulik Shenhav, called his niece “an innocent, G‑d-fearing girl. She was so sweet, with her whole life ahead of her,” he said. Her sister, Tamar Levanoni, spoke at the funeral about how Rina “constantly strove to advance, to learn and understand.”
“This hole is not just felt by the family; it is a void in the heart of the nation,” said her sister. “This space now needs to be filled; the work begins now. Dearest, beloved Rina, thank you for the years we had with you. I hope that together we can fulfill the mission you left for us.”
Security forces continued to search for those involved; three suspects were arrested in a village near Ramallah.
As news of the tragedy spread throughout Israel, Chabad-Lubavitch sent messages encouraging women and girls to light Shabbat candles in memory of the young woman.
This story was written in Israel after the conclusion of the Jewish Sabbath.
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