Family, friends and acquaintances accompanied Yaakov Pinto, a Spanish immigrant, to his funeral Tuesday, a day after he was killed in a terror attack at Ramat Junction alongside five other Israelis. The funeral procession began at the Beit Midrash of Derech Emunah Yeshiva in Lod, where Pinto studied, just two months after his wedding.
Relatives and friends from Spain, including his parents, who had been unable to attend the wedding due to distance, joined local residents of Lod and Pinto’s friends. His aunt, Kary Gold Nahmani, eulogized him, saying, “There are not enough words to describe the evil that exists. My beautiful 25-year-old nephew Yaakov was on a bus heading to his teaching job in Jerusalem when terrorists attacked and shot him.
“After being shot twice, Yaakov called his wife and said, ‘There’s been an attack. I love you. Tell my parents I love them,’ and then he passed away. Unbearable, inconceivable, beyond consolation. Life ended before it had truly begun.”
Rav Zelig Braverman, head of Derech Emunah Yeshiva, said, “A flawless victim, you were on your way to study Torah when your steps led you to your Father in Heaven. You traveled a long, difficult path from distant Spain, slowly climbing, forging your way through faith. The Name of God was sanctified through you before all of Israel. When you entered your home, it was filled with light. Our Yaankel left no remainder, but you are not alone. You were a pillar of our yeshiva, and your dedication to mitzvot will endure forever. Your parents couldn’t attend your wedding, but they came to accompany you here. Your friend Shrolik came to identify you and said you were smiling. You ascended to Heaven peacefully.”
Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kuperstein, head of Nehora Yeshiva where Pinto had recently studied, said, “He brought light to everyone around him. Right after his wedding, when the sun rises, it suddenly sets. Everyone waits for your smile, your light, your warmth. Yaakov was always first in matters of holiness, always looking for someone to help. I asked him if he missed a mother’s hug, and he said, ‘My mother hugs me from afar all the time.’ Now they’ve come to hug you here.”