Dear Rachel and Family:
Rina and I wanted to reach out to tell you how much we are thinking about you and your entire family. I am so sorry that we could not be in Israel to be Menachem avel personally, but our hearts, and the hearts of so many others in Klal Yisrael, are with you right now.
When someone is as impactful as Rav Avi, his loss reverberates around the world. Personally, Rav Avi was a mentor and a hero of mine.
Avi was a deep and thoughtful Talmid Chacham, and he loved to teach others. He did this both with his Torah content, but at it’s core, it was about a connection. Through his authentic warmth, a smile that could light up any space, Rav Avi conveyed to everyone he encountered that he cared deeply about them, no matter their background, or who they were. It was real. ‘Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev, Nichnasim….’
Rav Avi was always the perfect example of a Mechanech and a Mashpia, and he was someone who always inspired and pushed me to ask myself how can I do more to try and be like him. He used every tool at his disposal – the beauty of the Torah he possessed, the creativity of communicating it in interesting ways, the warmth of love and connection, the power of song – to reach others. This universal language of connection caused everyone to be impacted by him and love him, whether it was in Memphis, in his school in Jerusalem, in his unit in the army, or your community.
Always looking to give, always looking to serve. Never ever with a sense of ‘magia li’, or that he was deserving of praise for his hard work. That last video taken a few days ago when a reporter asked him if he wanted to send a message back to you and the family, to me that said it all. You could see, even amidst exhaustion and pressure of serving for hundreds of days, even in the midst of a tense situation, the smile, and a sense of almost surprise and gratitude, as if he was wondering “why is this reporter asking me?” and then a sense of genuine Hakarat Hatov at the opportunity to share his love with all of you. Rav Avi’s kindness, simchat hachaim, authenticity, desire to serve, give, and connect, all jumped off the screen in those few seconds.
May Hashem provide you and your family with a sense of comfort and the strength to endure. Klal Yisrael is giving you all a hug from all over the world, inspired by the warmth of Captain Rabbi Avi Goldberg, z’l, a true hero of Am Yisrael.
With love, Rina and Dov Emerson and family
