Op-Ed: Standing at Leibby’s Funeral
Standing at the funeral last night my mind was flooded with thoughts. There was just too much to think about, what happened is incomprehensible and it defies logic. In the midst of thousands of people who came to respect the young boy there was a collective sorrow and our hearts were at a proverbial half mast. An innocent child was literally butchered. What a nightmare. There were sobs throughout the ceremony, many coming from people who did not know the boy as the tragedy shook our innermost being and our core. Life is so precious; we know that through being a parent and a sibling, and we know that as we see youngsters grow and celebrate life. There are so many joys throughout life. But then there was this. Our heart as human beings is hurting badly.
I visited Borough Park several times this year, and being the densely populated area that it is, the masses of people all seem like a blur. There are literally thousands of men, women and children swiftly walking up and down the main thoroughfares. I feel as if I thought and visualized the people on the streets as a sea of people rather than individuals. I failed to see everyone as a precious soul and a unique human being. As I was standing with the throngs of mourners last night, that thought was going through my mind; this young boy was not just another child, he was a beloved son, grandson, brother, friend, and student. He was an “angel” and was special to those who knew him. I think that is something I can walk away with and learn from this young boy’s short albeit special life.
Yes we need to advocate for child safety, the community leaders need to make that a top priority as soon as they can. There are no excuses anymore. However, on my part and on our part we can perhaps extend this softness of heart that we are experiencing now, and realize that every soul is special. Every person we see or meet is someone of significance. Financial means does not make someone greater, political clout does not make someone greater, and there is nothing that makes one human being superior to the next. Everyone can use some kindness every so often. We are all here in the same word, a world that gives us a run for our money, a world with travails and at times, unfortunately travesties. Lend a helping hand when someone needs it, be an extension of Leiby. You can be his arm and his hand, as his life was ended prematurely you are now in a sense extending his life.
Sadness, melancholy, and grief are going to be natural reactions when something of this nature transpires. However, sulking in gloom will not get us anywhere; we need to take a step forward, a step in the right direction to translate our anger and downheartedness into action. I remember hearing this from Rabbi Ezra Shochet of Los Angeles when he spoke at a memorial for the Shuchim who were killed in Mumbai a few years back. He said that this is a sign that we need to better ourselves. We will not understand why this happened, but one thing we know is that we need to increase acts of goodness and kindness. We need to shed much light after an act of such tremendous darkness. It doesn’t take much to light up a dark room, just a small candle. A small act of love in someone’s life can lighten up someone’s day, week or month, and that person is considered an entire world. Please, let’s do our best to make this world a better place. In the loving memory of Leiby Kletzky.
declasse intellectual
Is there a collection being set up for the family and if so hwo can donations be made????
CHana
Wow! Inspiring
Dr. Levi A. Reiter
Beautifully written, and expressed as only a special, & insightful Yiddishe neshoma is capable of doing.
G-d willing your words will be taken to heart and put into action by all including myself.
Every person, in whatever position or circumstance is someone’s sibling, friend, relative, parent, grandparent and so on.
The lesson plan was well laid out by the writer: to show respect, love, kindness, and goodness to everyone in the Schuna, & to every yid in HaShem’s world.
This is the Rebbe’s message; we should merit not to need further reminders.
DTorres
What a terrible tragedy for both families.
For the parents of an 8 year old child,
to have to suffer the death of their beloved child,
is bad enough, but for the 8 year old child to have been
wrenched from them under such brutal circumstances, the
pain is too much for a normal human being to bear.
What reasonable human being would have blamed Mr.
Nachman and his wife Esther Kletzky if they demanded
the Death Penalty for Levi Aron?
Nobody would have even flinched.
But instead, of being consumed with hatred against
the alleged perpertrator, Mr. Levi Aron, they
Mr. Nachman & his wife Esther Kletzky have peace and love
in their hearts.
They say that this is something that God wanted and
they have to accept it with love and peace.
Mr. Nachman and wife Esther, have pure hearts, mind and souls.
Their 8 year old boy, little Leibby gave a an example
of the wonderful adult that he would have become.
Little Leibby’s Dad, Mr. Nachman Kletzky told of a recent story, that when Leibby was playing baseball, he switched from
the good team to the struggling one, because he felt bad for
the underdogs.
I read Mr. Aron Levi’s confession in the paper and to me,
it did not make sense, too many holes in that confession.
I feel sick to my stomach over this, it’s just a really
bad feeling.
This was an 8 year old little boy.
arik katzenberg
im inspired but im not swayed. youre on a higher madrega than am i. i cant stop crying, and i havent any idea how i will come out of this shiva by wed. i feel like i lost my baby brother even tho ive never met laibey baby kletzky
MZ
Tuesday night we were still praying, hoping. People were searching. Posters were being hung in the subway stations.
The next morning we heard the unthinkable.
The same poster I saw the night before, that gave me pride and hope – Klal Yisroel and the world – we are all coming together to find and save this child, but now, the same poster, in a different station brings different emotions. Why is it still up? I wanted to tear it down. Or at least write “R.I.P. – HY”D“. But I left it – maybe someone didn’t hear the tragedy. Let them still hope…
On the bus Wednesday night, a man turns to me. He says, ”Terrible, the boy. What they did“.
I look at him. I’m numb. I don’t want to talk.
”The boy“. Yehuda ben Nachman N”Y HY“D, otherwise known as Leiby.
The whole world knows ”the boy“.
All eyes are on me, the one Jew on the bus. I tell him what I know.
He asks, ”You knew him?“
”No. Community“
”You’re from Boro Park then?“
”No. We are ALL one community, one family.“
”Jews are like that“ he says. He shows me his Maghain Dovid. ”I’m not Jewish“ he says. I wear this because I like the Jewish people. Got one for each of my children too. The youngest doesn’t wear it. She’s too little. Only seven. I have to watch her real careful. Crazy people out there today.”
Yes. Definately.
I pull out a sheva mitzvos card and give it to him as I leave the bus. “This is for you – it will help make the world a better, safer place”.
But what about US? What should we do?
I think the answer is obvious.
We just got a jarring WAKE UP CALL from HaShem. It threw us all together in a frenzy of ahavas Yisroel. We MUST carry that love forward.
If you saw your friend about to eat something poisonous, you would grab it away. There is physical poison. There is spiritual poison too. We must, as a community, shape up. Better ahavas yisroel, better chinuch for our children, more careful observans of Torah and Mitzvos. Honestly, intergrity, Surveilance cameras so people stop behaving in inapporpriate ways. And that includes encouraging every woman in your life to get rid of any even slightly pritzusdik clothing she has. It’s as trief as chazer – spiritual poison for the soul. Save her from the poison.
You were touched by Leiby – carry his life on for him. What a zechus for his neshama that would be, instead of just lamenting the tragedy.
Laiby Baby?
what a well written article my heart is inspired and my soul has been uplifted is this person looking
P.S. dear writer are you looking for a shiduch?
to 7
How do you know that the person who wrote this is not married?
To 8
I know who he is, and he is single
Yoni
Well Written