Yehudit Weiss, 65, Loving Mother from Be’eri, Murdered by Hamas
by Moshe New – chabad.org
On Thursday, Nov. 16 (3 Kislev), the Weiss family of Be’eri, Israel, learned of the murder of their 65-year-old mother, Yehudit.
“The officers knocked on the door and we immediately understood,” one of her five children, Omer Weiss, told AFP.
Yehudit Weiss, a retired kindergarten teacher, was brutally kidnapped from her home in kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and taken to the Gaza Strip along with more than 200 other hostages. Her 65-year-old husband, Shmuel (Shmulik), was murdered in their home trying to defend her.
The Israel Defense Forces discovered Yehudit’s body in a structure near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, along with that of another hostage, Noa Marciano, 19.
May G‑d avenge their blood.
Two of Weiss’ sons, Daniel and Ohad, had just returned from an emotionally charged trip to the United States when the family received the devastating news.
During the U.S. visit, the brothers, along with 170 family members of the hostages, sought solace and strength as they prayed at the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. In a moving display of resilience, throughout the trip, Daniel Weiss lifted the spirits of those around him with his music, sharing songs that echoed the pain and hope shared by the families.
Yehudit Weiss was an adored member of her community. Having spent her career working with young children, in retirement she volunteered in the kibbutz’s communal dining room. She was battling breast cancer and undergoing radiation when she was abducted by Hamas terrorists.
Standing outside of the Ohel just two days earlier, Daniel and Ohad spoke to Tablet about their mother. The brothers had just emerged from praying at the Rebbe’s burial place when they were asked what the world should know about their mother. “She is a wonderful person—kind,” Daniel Weiss responded. “She is a very powerful woman.”
The brothers came to New York on a plane chartered by the Chabad Youth Organization—the umbrella arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Israel. The organization’s chairman, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Aharonov, who led the delegation, expressed deep sorrow over the cruel loss of Yehudit Weiss, relaying also a sense of relief that, amid the tragedy, Weiss would be laid to rest according to Jewish tradition.
The recovery of Yehudit Weiss’s body was part of a larger military operation in Gaza, where IDF troops discovered military equipment and tunnel shafts used by Hamas. This operation is part of the ongoing efforts to bring the hostages home and destroy Hamas.
There are no coincidences in Judaism, and many around the world were struck by the realization that the Daily Study for Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, the Torah portion of Toldot (Genesis 26:34), explicitly mentions Esau’s taking of Yehudit, the daughter of Be’eri.
The Jewish community worldwide mourns the loss of Yehudit Weiss, who is survived by her children and grandchildren, remembering her for her kindness and strength, and as the selfless community member and loving mother that she was. Her legacy of love and service will continue to inspire those who knew her and the Jewish people at large.
