Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, expresses its great sadness over the death of Ari Fuld zk”l, a U.S.-Israeli citizen who was killed over the weekend in Israel by a Palestinian terrorist.
Fuld, 45, was attacked Sunday morning by a terrorist wielding a knife outside a shopping mall near Kfar Etzion. Despite his injuries, Fuld chased after and fired at his assailant, even jumping over a fence in an attempt to stop him before succumbing to his wounds. He was later pronounced dead at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. The terrorist was eventually stopped by a passerby who also shot him.
Fuld lived with his family in Efrat. He is survived by his wife, Miriam, and four children, Tamar, 22, Naomi, 21, Yakir, 17, and Natan 12; his brothers Moshe, Doni, Hillel and Eitan; and his parents, Rabbi Yonah and Mary (Kent).
The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Fuld made Aliyah in 1994 and worked for an organization devoted to supporting Israeli soldiers on active duty. He was a sergeant in an elite paratroopers unit in the IDF reserves and served on the Efrat emergency squad. On Fridays, he used social media to broadcast his own Torah commentary to people around the world.
OU President Mark (Moishe) Bane and OU Executive Vice President Allen Fagin stated:
“We at the Orthodox Union are horrified by this terrible attack and deeply saddened over the loss of Ari Fuld, a proud Jew who was deeply committed to Torah and an impassioned advocate of Eretz Yisrael. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Fuld family. May the family be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim.”