Soon after Shabbat ended in Nepal, reports began to come in that the body of Israeli backpacker Or Asraf, 22, had been discovered by 20 of his former comrades from the elite Egoz IDF unit who had braved treacherous terrain to find him and were bringing his body to the nearest village.
Some of the hikers at the Chabad center who heard the heart-rending news were part of Or Asraf’s hiking group, and had been rescued earlier in the week and brought to the center. Asraf had moved ahead of his group during their trek and was buried in a landslide when the massive earthquake struck.
“At the moment, we are sitting with his friends, talking and sharing,” said Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz, co-director of Chabad of Nepal with his wife, Chani, late Sunday night. “Tomorrow, G‑d willing, we will take part in bringing him here. It is sad, yet comforting for us to know that his soul now knows serenity and is no longer lying under the debris of the jagged rocks.”
The mission to bring back the soldiers will itself be a treacherous one.
“His friends—all 20 men—are walking through a very dangerous area. It’s dark, and the danger is very great; rocks are flying, and the life of every person there is at risk,” Asraf’s father, Patrick Asraf, told Israeli media.
Additional rescue teams are rushing to the remote village with the assistance of Chabad’s high-tech equipment and expertise. The soldiers and their former comrade will then return to Kathmandu.
The rabbi also described some of the daunting tasks ahead:
“Hundreds of bodies of residents—Europeans and Americans—are lying on the ground,” he said. “Our complex task is now is to find bodies of missing Jews and bring them for Jewish burial. Many Jewish families from around the world are turning to us for assistance on the matter. And, of course, we are helping to identify and bring back the bodies of all foreign nationals as well.”
“It’s hard to know where to begin,” continued the rabbi. “We’re doing our best to reach as many as we can with first-aid kits, blankets, food, fruits and water. We’re trying to do everything to make them happier. The tragedy is terrible. There is no place that is without death.”
On Monday, Lifshitz will again take to the skies by helicopter to assist in the search and recovery of the dead, and to deliver satellite phones to those still stranded so they can call home.
Back in Kathmandu, his wife Chani will continue helping those traumatized and in mourning, providing what food and staples they have to those who have survived.
Said the rabbi: “I wish what we offer could heal the wounded and the suffering … if not their bodies, then at least their souls.”
To help with the earthquake relief effort, visit the special relief fund page: www.Chabad.org/Nepal.
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