Thousands Visit Shiva Homes for Gilad, Naftali and Eyal

Government ministers, Knesset members, civic leaders, rabbis and ordinary Israelis from all walks of life have been flooding the homes of the three families whose sons were abducted and murdered by Hamas terrorists three and a half weeks ago. Many people said they came to comfort the grieving families, but said they left comforted and strengthened by the grieving families' faith and power.

At the Sha'ar home in Talmon, chassidic singer Avraham Fried visited Bat-Galim and Ofir Sha'ar, Gil-Ad's parents, on Saturday night, and led mourners in a spontaneous song, at the request of Bat-Galim.  

In addition,  a group of Ultra Orthodox Jews visited Thursday with an unfinished Sefer Torah that had been donated by an anonymous individual in memory of the three boys. The scroll was brought to each of the homes, where the fathers were invited to complete the last letters in the scroll.

In Elad, Ilana Dadon, mother of Shelly Dadon who was murdered on April 1^st this year, came to console the family of Eyal Yifrah. In the end, however, Dadon said she felt consoled by Iris, mother of 19 year old Eyal.

Finally, this morning (Sunday) the Sha'ar family was visited by members of the search team who found their son's body. "We didn't know if they were alive or dead", said one of the team members, "We began searching full of hope. With all the pain, we are glad to have found them. We could have missed them for years."

Ofir, Gil-Ad's father, said: "We want to thank you. We felt the army was with us. We saw your eyes, red from fatigue. and we knew that every effort was being made to find them alive.

"The cooperation mirrored what was happening generally – unity," said Ofir Sha'ar.