Lighting Up the World

Jews the world over reeled at the news last Wednesday that Tze’ela Gez, 30, a mother of three driving to the hospital to deliver her fourth, was murdered by an Arab terrorist just outside her yishuv of Bruchin in Samaria. Her husband managed to take control of the car and get help. The baby was delivered by emergency Caesarean section at the hospital and remains in critical condition.

I didn’t know Tze’ela, but her husband, Hananel, is the brother of my friend, Rebbetzin Bat Chen Grossman of Kochav Yaakov. Bat Chen is a marriage coach who hosts the Connected for Real podcast, and I was her coworker in a graphic design studio for several years, and we’ve stayed in touch.

Even though the pain of losing her sister-in-law Tze’ela is still raw, she wants to talk about Tze’ela with me. Tze’ela, whose name means “acacia tree,” planted firm roots in this world and was a protective source of shade for others.

“My brother, Hananel, made aliyah at age 25, leaving behind the comforts of New York,” Bat Chen tells me. “He could have had it easy, but he’s an idealist, and his dream was to build a home on the soil of Eretz Yisrael. Then he met Tze’ela, a native Israeli who shared his vision. They were just perfect for each other.”