The infants Leah Goloventchitz and Aaron (Ari) Katz, who died yesterday in a daycare tragedy in Jerusalem, were laid to rest on Tuesday evening.
The funerals were held after a tense day marked by disturbances sparked by plans to conduct postmortem examinations on the infants’ bodies — examinations that ultimately did not take place following a decision by Israel’s High Court of Justice, the country’s top court.
Leah’s mother, Bracha, eulogized her three-month-old daughter through tears. “You smiled early, you did everything early — everything. Everyone who saw you saw your light. You brought so much light into our lives and left so suddenly. The night before you left, you woke up so many times, and I hugged you so tightly. I didn’t know those would be the last hugs. I didn’t take advantage of it enough. It was such a joy to hug you. You always cuddled back and gave hugs and love — you were a baby of love.”
Leah’s uncle, Rabbi Yisrael Berlin, said that “when a child leaves this world, it is not the natural way. What is certain is that the parents have now returned the deposit to the King — pure and unblemished.” Another uncle, Rabbi Aryeh Goloventchitz, said, “So many tragedies have struck the people of Israel in recent weeks. Another tragedy, another child, another youth, another infant.”
Addressing criticism that followed the tragedy, he added: “It is so easy to say it was because of this or because of that, but God sent this to us so that we would awaken. Whoever does not awaken from this — that is cruelty. The best thing that can be done now is for each person to take upon themselves to strengthen their commitment to Torah, to commandments, to love of fellow Jews and to modesty.”
No signs of poisoning were found on the bodies of Leah and Aharon, who was six months old. At the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv, officials believe the cause of death was dehydration resulting from an air conditioner set to a high heat setting in the closed room where the two were staying, though a final determination has not yet been made. Rescue personnel who arrived at the daycare testified that an air conditioner was operating at a very high heat level, one that could pose a danger to infants.
A Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended by three days the detention of the daycare director and a caregiver who were arrested on Monday.