While the Katz family waits for the release of the body of their son, six‑month‑old Aharon (Ari) Katz, who died Monday in a tragedy at an unlicensed day care in Jerusalem, his mother Hani Katz bid him a heartbreaking farewell in a message shared on social media.
“How, Master of the Universe, does one eulogize an infant?” the mother wrote in her own words. “How much did he love tickles and kisses? How often did he smile and when did he want to cry? How mischievous was he and what pacifier did he love most? How much did he weigh, and at what age did he crawl?
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Mother Hani Katz's eulogy to her 6-month-old son Aharon
(Photo: Section 27A of the Copyright Law)
“And what, Master of the Universe, do the sweet souls do in the paradise of babies? Do angels draw there? Do laughing mothers sit in a circle? Do small beating whole hearts sit among the righteous and tell stories of the end of days? And is the sky up there not too vast for a tiny baby who only knows how to crawl?”
Hani is a social activist who founded the Tachshik initiative after the October 7 massacre, creating and delivering memorial necklaces with photos and names of the fallen and murdered to bereaved families.
The tragedy occurred Monday at a private nursery operating without a license in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem. Three‑month‑old Leah Goloventchitz and Aharon both died after 55 infants were hospitalized with breathing broblems. Early findings from the investigation suggest, based on physical signs, that one of the infants may have died a significant time before emergency responders arrived.
No signs of poisoning were found on either child, and the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute estimates that dehydration caused by a high‑temperature air conditioner in the closed room where they were staying is the likely cause of death — though no final determination has yet been made. The prosecution has requested autopsies, but both families oppose them and have appealed to the Supreme Court. First responders at the nursery testified that a strong air‑conditioning unit was running at dangerously high temperatures for toddlers.
Protests and arrests after autopsy dispute
Violent clashes erupted Monday night in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh as hundreds of extremist ultra‑Orthodox men protested against plans to autopsy the two infants’ bodies. Police have arrested the day care owner and one caregiver; another caregiver who was detained for questioning Monday has been released. A hearing on extending their remand is scheduled for Tuesday.
Leah was the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Goloventchitz and Bracha Rolnik, who recently moved to the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem. Leah had been enrolled in the day care just days earlier She is also survived by a brother. Her mother posted on Instagram: “My Leah, thank you for being mine. Your soul will be within me forever. Blessed is the True Judge.”
First published: 08:30, 01.20.26