The Silence of Prayer, Shattered in a Synagogue Bloodbath

18 Nov 2014
Israel

A trail of blood inside the synagogue (photo credit: Kobi Gideon/ GPO/ Flash 90)Yaakov Amos had just finished calling silently on God to “grant peace everywhere, goodness and blessing; grace, loving kindness and mercy to us and unto all Israel, Your people,” when two terrorists stormed into Har Nof’s largest synagogue at 7:01 a.m. on Tuesday.

Amos, a trained trauma therapist, was in the middle of the Amidah prayer when he heard a pair of gunshots issued in quick succession. “Boom-boom,” he said.

He swiveled around fast, his feet still together in prayer, and saw “a Jew in phylacteries” on the floor.

In those seconds, Amos was transported from the calm of the meditative prayer into the middle of a  massacre, as terrorists armed with a gun, a knife and meat cleaver killed four people and injured several more. Witnesses and rescue workers described a gruesome scene inside the Jerusalem synagogue, with blood spattering prayer books and people in the middle of prayer caught in the carnage.

Read the full article at Times of Israel

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.