Every day, Breaking Israel News will be featuring one of the seventeen victims of Arab terror in the current Jewish year of 5779.

Today, we will profile Rabbi Achiad Ettinger z”l.

Most people who get fatally shot while driving would either continue driving to flee the scene or stop the car and just allow themselves to die. But Rabbi Achiad Ettinger wasn’t ‘most people’.

Ettinger’s death happened shortly after an Arab terrorist stole IDF soldier Gal Keidan‘s rifle. When that happened, the terrorist went on a mass shooting spree. Among his victims was the brave Rabbi. Relatives told reporters that Ettinger after being shot while driving, heroically turned his car around and managed to fire four bullets in the direction of the terrorist, causing him to flee the scene. And although he didn’t hit his murderer, it prevented the perpetrator from targeting others.

But Ettinger wasn’t just a hero in his death.

That’s because most people don’t realize that the streets of Southern Tel Aviv have been de-facto taken over by illegal aliens who migrated from Africa. They run gangs, prostitution rings, smuggle dangerous drugs and can often be seen intoxicated on street corners. Massive drunken street brawls are an almost nightly occurrence. And despite countless complaints of sexual assault, the Israeli police have all but refused to enforce the law in those parts sending southern Tel Aviv neighborhoods into a state of almost total anarchy. And while every Jewish Israeli with the means to leave south Tel Aviv does, one man made the counter-intuitive decision to actually move into that hell hole. His mission: to establish a Torah learning center and inspire the run-down area’s residents with God’s light. That man was none other than Rabbi Achiad Ettinger z”l.

See his widow explain their transition in an interview with Rabbi Tuly below:

Rabbi Ettinger was dedicated to studying Torah and spreading God’s word to the residents of a neighborhood that desperately needed the Lord’s inspiration. And in case that level of self-sacrifice wasn’t enough, his family announced that they would donate his organs to help others. By the way, when I say ‘family’, I mean all 12 of his kids (yes, 12, just like Jacob).

Below, one of Ettinger’s sons breaks down while naming his baby boy after his father during the baby’s brit milah (circumcision) ceremony:

But now that he’s gone, they need your help.

That’s because it is the family that has to find the inner strength to move on. Most people don’t realize that losing a loved one to terror can be emotionally crippling. It can even prevent those affected  by the loss from performing regular everyday tasks like going to work or even leaving the house to buy groceries.

And although the family’s pain isn’t physical, it might as well be. That’s because the depression that resulted in the loss can make them bed-bound. Everything can suddenly become overwhelming.

This is where you can step in and help.

Israel365 is currently running a campaign to raise funds for the families of terror victims. Their goal is to help these families before the Jewish New Year on Rosh Hashanah.

Together with your support, we can help rehabilitate those who can’t find the means to cope with such a sudden loss. The funds that you donate today will go to much-needed therapy, food, clothing and experiences that provide a glimmer of happiness during these dark times. 

We can’t prevent the next terror attack, but victims can at the very least find peace of mind in knowing that the nations of the world have their back when the unthinkable happens.

That’s why we’re asking you to give whatever you can. Remember, the commandment of tithes isn’t a demand for you to break the bank. It’s a commandment to set aside a small percentage of your earnings that are left over at the end of the month (if any). 

And blessed be Hashem Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Avram] gave him a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:20)

Donate to this crucial cause today and do what you can do to help Israel win the war on terror. God’s enemies are in the field. This war isn’t just about killing the Jewish people – it’s about breaking their spirit. Don’t let that happen. Keep Israel strong. Help Israel win.

Donate today and earn spiritual points for the year 5780