Or Asraf plays guitar.
Israeli backpacker killed in Nepal quake laid to rest
Thousands attend funeral of Or Asraf in Lehavim; 'My hero, my brave and handsome prince. I can't believe we have to separate,' Or's sister says in her eulogy.
Thousands of people attended the funeral of Or Asraf,
the only Israeli killed during
the earthquake that struck Nepal a week and a half ago, at his home town on Lehavim in the Negev on Wednesday afternoon.
"The earth did not shake in Nepal for 80 years. It waited for you, for a person like you who could awaken it from its coma. The mudslide that caught you was 300 meters long. You were 100 meters away from getting out safely, but the surge of rocks came down and overtook you," Asraf's father Patrick said.
Family and friends at funeral of Or Asraf. (Photo: Roee Idan)
"Death caught you while you were marching happily," said Or's father.
"You set out alone for a 10 day trek in the Himalayan Mountains, well equipped and with a satellite device in your pocket, ready for anything. You passed other hikers. You had to do everything. Views of snowy mountain caps, the sounds of birds and a rushing river side.
"Other hikers saw you and they all reported on a hiker who was enjoying every moment in nature. Your friends from the Egoz unit rescued you in a complex mission while taking a big risk on their lives," Patrick continued, and then named each of Or's friends who had gone out on the dangerous search mission.
Or Asraf's father Patrick embraces one of his son's friends who came to Nepal to join the search. (Photo: IsraLife spokesman)
Or's sister Ella added: "Thank you for building pillow fortresses with me, for waking up at 6 am on Saturday mornings. For looking out for me from afar and for driving our parents crazy every time I had a boyfriend.
"My guardian angel, now you are really an angel. My throat is choked up from trears. You will no longer excitingly tell me about an Arik Berman song. You won't play happy birthday on the harmonica. You will no longer call me 'my beautiful sister'. You will no longer take me and Nadav on a trip to the spring. My hero, my brave and handsome prince. I can't believe we have to separate."
A friend of Or's who served with him in the Egoz unit said: "I guess you are now in the green garden of Eden. Probably hugging Yuvi and Yifrah (Yuval Dagan and Tal Yifrah, soldiers and friends of Or who were killed during Operation Protective Edge.)
"When we said goodbye you wrote: 'Three months without you guys is no joke.' No matter what, you won't be alone. We won't separate ever. That's how it is when you're part of a crew. For the good and the bad. For life and death. The crew already misses you," said Or's friend.
The body of the 22-year-old was located on Sunday morning, in the vicinity of Bamboo Village, close to the Langtang nature trail in the north of the country. The earthquake, which registered 7.8 on the Richter Scale, killed some 7,000 people and laid waste to massive areas of Nepal.
