Campaign to ‘Add Light’ in Murdered Toddler’s Memory

In the wake of the death of 3-month-old Chaya Zisel Braun in a terror attack on Jerusalem’s Light Rail, volunteers of the Chabad Terror Victims Project paid a Shiva call to her family. At the Shiva, an idea was born: a new campaign for world Jewry to ‘Add Light’ in little Chaya’s memory.

It was a tragedy of unparalleled sadness, brutality, and horror: On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, Abed a-Rahman a-Shaludi, a resident of the village of Silwad, with a history of security offenses and ties to Hamas, viciously rammed his car into the crowded Ammunition Hill station of the light rail in Jerusalem.

Among those hit by the vehicle was a stroller with three-month-old Chaya Zisel Braun sitting in it. The baby, who was an American citizen, was thrown several meters into the air, landing headfirst on the pavement. She tragically died of intracranial bleeding.  Several other people at the station were injured.

Chaya was born to her parents after years of trying to have a baby. Her grandfather explained that they had just taken her that very day on her first trip to the Kotel, such a joyous occasion. They took beautiful photos of her there.

On the way home from the Kotel, their entire world changed.

As the delegation from Chabad’s Terror Victims Project (CTVP) arrived at the shiva house of Chaya’s family, their hearts ached for the parents and all the family whose anguish and pain were visible in their eyes and on their faces.

They spoke softly to them of a special poster campaign CTVP has launched in memory of their precious daughter, called ‘Add Light.’

The posters read:  “Baby Chaya Zisel A’H Braun was killed in a brutal terror attack. When there is darkness in the world we should all try to ADD LIGHT! Every woman and daughter should light Shabbos candles.”

The family was very deeply moved by this.

Through their tears, they asked that CTVP encourage as many people as possible to take part in this campaign. And they asked them to thank everyone who does so and thereby helps to bring more light into the world after the darkness of their daughter’s death.

Rabbi Yosef Aronov, Chairman of Chabad of Israel, said that this campaign is vitally important, both to increase the memory of this precious baby girl, and to bring more light into the world with the Rebbe’s Mivtza of Neshek.