Six people were killed in a shooting attack at Ramot Junction on Monday morning, authorities said. The victims were Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Pash, Yaakov Pinto, Rabbi Yisrael Metzner, Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzeg and Sarah (Sarita) Mendelson.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the attackers, residents of the Palestinian villages of Qatanna and Qubeiba northwest of Jerusalem, entered through a breach in the border fence.
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From top left clockwise: Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzeg, Sarah (Sarita) Mendelson, Yaakov Pinto, Yisrael Metzner and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Pash
Yaakov Pinto, 25, an immigrant from Spain, had recently married and studied at the Derech Emunah Yeshiva in Lod. Members of his community in Ramot said his “future was cruelly cut short. Our hearts are with his young wife, his family and his community in these difficult moments.”
Levi Yitzchak Pash, a staff member at the Kol Torah Yeshiva, lived in Tel Tzion near Jerusalem. Neighbors described him as “a dedicated yeshiva worker, known for helping everyone in the neighborhood and performing acts of kindness.”
“In the past ten years, I had the privilege of knowing an extraordinary man with a warm and radiant face,” said Elhanan Koren, who works at the Kol Torah yeshiva. “He was always the first to help, the mother and father of the students in the dormitories. Levi Yitzchak always came with a glowing face and wisdom, he was a true example of dedication. Beyond his work as a maintenance man, he never wasted time — he always had a book in hand and would go study in the beit midrash. He was a joyful Jew, and we were happy to be in his company. He would stay late into the night, well beyond working hours.”
CCTV footage of Jerusalem attack
Yisrael Metzner, 28, was a resident of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yosef David, 43, lived in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. Local residents said he was killed while standing at a bus stop on his way to study at a kollel, with his books in hand.
Rabbi Mordechai Steintzeg, 79, known as Dr. Mark, lived in the Ramot Bet neighborhood. He was the founder of the well-known Dr. Mark’s Bakery in Beit Shemesh. He immigrated from Pennsylvania in 1993 and embraced a healthy lifestyle that included wholesome food. When he discovered that Israel lacked health breads, he decided to open a small home bakery specializing in spelt and sourdough loaves. Today, his products are sold in nearly every supermarket in Israel. “For him, bread was not just food but a symbol of warmth, home, belonging and generosity. Through bread, he brought people together and offered comfort,” the bakery’s Instagram page said on Monday.
“He was a man with a heart of gold like no other,” Nachman Grinwald, the bakery’s CEO, told Ynet. “All these years, he cared deeply about people eating healthy food; it really troubled him when they didn’t. That was his main mission. He was one of the first to introduce healthy breads here. Dr. Mark founded the bakery and developed everything from scratch. A few years ago, he retired and sold the business to my father, but he kept coming back, approving every new bread we developed. We can’t believe he was murdered and taken from us so tragically. He always cared for all the bakery’s workers, for members of minority groups who worked here — he cared for each and every one of them. There was always a family atmosphere.”
Sarah (Sarita) Mendelson, 60, was a resident of Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood. She is survived by four children and grandchildren. A longtime leader in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, she was affectionately known as “Sarita” and worked for decades as director of municipal relations in the movement’s finance department. She was killed on her way to work at Bnei Akiva’s national headquarters in Jerusalem.
“Sarita was like the mother of Bnei Akiva. She sat in the director-general’s office, always welcoming everyone with a smile," Netanel Elk, deputy secretary-general of Bnei Akiva, said. "Over the years, dozens of employees came through, and she always helped and supported them, even in stressful times.” He added that she treated Bnei Akiva as if it were her own family: “She always thought about how the money could go to programs for children and those in need.”
Esther Lugasi, who was lightly injured in the attack, described the scene from Shaare Zedek Hospital. “It’s not simple. I’m still shaking. I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s horrifying. I was traveling to visit my parents. The bus stopped at Ramot Junction. People boarded the already crowded bus. All the other buses passed, but ours remained. The driver opened the door, some people got off, I was about to board line 62 — and then gunfire came from all directions. It felt like an eternity,” she said.
She added, “I felt I was going to die. I stopped and said, ‘If I die, I die,’ but I managed to keep running. We hid in the terminal. There was a lot of shooting until it went quiet. There were children and strollers. One woman held a baby and threw the stroller. We waited there until a medic came to me. I was afraid to go out.”
Yaakov Yisrael Guetta, whose mother Osnat was seriously injured in the attack and taken to Shaare Zedek, said Monday afternoon, “When I heard it, my heart skipped a beat. Ramot Junction is just two stops from our home. The doctor says my mother was shot in the abdomen and, God willing, she will recover quickly.”
He added, “She is coming out of surgery. I ask everyone — pray that God ends our suffering. My mother is a woman whose whole life has been dedicated to giving without stopping. We are six siblings; three of my children are still in cheder and know nothing. We will update them only when they come home.”
The attack occurred shortly after 10 a.m. when two Palestinian attackers without residency permits fired at a bus stop and struck two buses, lines 62 and 320. In addition to the six fatalities, several others were injured and evacuated to hospitals in Jerusalem, including some critically wounded.
The United Arab Emirates issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it a “terrorist shooting incident.” French President Emmanuel Macron said his country “strongly condemns the attack in East Jerusalem,” and added, “I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Israel. The cycle of bloodshed must end. Only a political solution can restore stable and lasting peace across the region.”
First published: 14:35, 09.08.25