Moving to Israel

I unfortunately must report on some sad news today as Steve Averbach, a former member of the elite Israeli military and police units, died in the middle of the night Thursday. He was 44.

Averbach, who made Aliyah and moved to Israel in 1982 at age 16, tried to thwart a suicide bomber on a Jerusalem bus in 2003 and was left with injuries that made him a quadriplegic. After the bus incident, the Israeli Internal Security Ministry wrote Averbach a letter thanking him for saving lives; the terrorist had planned to blow up the crowded center of Jerusalem, but thanks to Averbach detonated his bomb prematurely.

Averbach was a personal friend of mine and I made many visits to see him in the years since his accident. I must tell you that there can be no greater inspiration to defend and love our country than Steve. The son of Monmouth Medical Center surgeon Dr. David Averbach and nurse Maida Averbach, he grew up in West Long Branch, where his parents still reside and could have lived the typical “American dream” life while Israel went about its usual business of trying to stay in existence as the rest of the world continues to plot and hope for our demise. Instead, he devoted himself to our country, spent his life defending it and ended up making the ultimate sacrifice. I am beyond proud to have had the privilege of knowing and being friends with him and can only hope that Hashem has him in a better place now and that he is being rewarded for his devotion to the Jewish home.

Steve is survived by his wife Julie and four sons as well as the rest of his family.

May his soul now be at peace and his memory be a part of us forever.

Ari