Fallen Soldier Ben Zussman’s Remarkable Final Letter to his Family
Earlier today, on my daily morning walk, I was trying to figure out what to post in order to express the paralyzing grief felt across Israel this Yom HaZikaron. And then I noticed a book being given away: “Eternal Light: 49 Stories of Heroism from the Swords of Iron War.”*
So I took a copy, and noticed a name I recognized: American-Israeli Ben Zussman HY”D whose shiva I attended this past December. At the shiva, I spoke at length with Ben’s heroic mother, Sarit, and more briefly with Ben’s wonderful grandmother. Before that shiva I hadn’t known Ben or his family. But sitting with Ben’s mother, grieving so deeply for her son, I found myself crying as well for Ben. Because I’m a mother, and I have sons I love too.
Today, reading Ben’s incredible final letter to his family, tears again streamed down my face, as I, through this letter, encountered for the first time BEN’s greatness, his heroism, his wilingness to volunteer for IDF service, to die so that Israel and the innocent people that call this Holy Land home, could survive.
When I googled Ben Zussman in search of a photo, I found this powerful video of his parents and grandmother reading that same letter. Thank You Hashem for guiding me to this letter (in the end, while writing this, my son and daughter brought me copies of the same book!) so I could share his important and deeply comforting message for his beautiful family among all the countless people mourning today in Israel and around the Jewish world.
May Hashem protect our soldiers and may no more need to die so that we Jews can finally live in our homeland IN PEACE.
AMEN!