On the fifth day of chol hamoed Succos, a shocked and
grieved throng, led by rabbonim, roshei yeshiva and
bnei Torah attended the levaya of the highly
esteemed and beloved avreich, twenty-nine-year old Rav
Moshe Sirota, who was killed instantly in a horrible car
accident.
He leaves behind eight small children, the oldest of whom is
only eight, and the youngest of whom was only two-days old at
the time of the tragedy. His bris was held the
following week. The accident occurred on the main road to
Jerusalem.
R' Moshe, the son of Rav Shmuel Sirota, a ram in the
Toldos Aharon yeshiva, grew up in a home of kedusha
and taharo. He studied in the Maharil yeshiva, and
later on became a talmid muvhak of HaRav M. D.
Soloveitchik. He married the daughter of the well known
Jerusalem mohel, Rav Chaim Yisroel Rotman.
Every day, he would arise at dawn in order to attend the
kollel Tarbitza where he would study before
davening, which he did with great kavono.
Due to his exceptional abilities, he was offered a position
as a ram in a mechina. He was very successful
in this avodas hakodesh, and his students remained
deeply attached to him for many years.
His devotion to weaker students, and his fatherly attitude to
every student, were well known.
On rosh chodesh Elul, he was invited to serve in as a
ram in the Tiferes Moshe-Lelov yeshiva ketana,
and in the brief time he taught there, his students,
became deeply attached to him. At his levaya, his past
and current young students wept uncontrollably In addition to
his outstanding exertion in Torah, the niftar was
always the first to volunteer for acts of chessed or
endeavors on behalf of the community.
This was especially so in the Ramot neighborhood, where he
lived. When certain residents of Ramot decided not to use
electricity on Shabbos, he arranged a generator. He also
helped the neighborhood acquire a siren to announce the
commencement of Shabbos. When the rav of the area wanted to
establish a gemach for the local residents, he quite
naturally asked Reb Moshe to organize it.
He was unique in his bein odom lechavero, and everyone
who knew him was certain that Reb Moshe was his best friend.
His home was open to all those in need, and even small
children sensed his benevolence.
The night of the fifth day of chol hamoed, as he was
traveling on the road to Jerusalem, the car in which he was
seated collided with one driven by an Arab, coming from the
opposite direction.
His newborn son was only two-days old at the time of the
disaster. Upon learning of the accident, the entire chareidi
community, and especially the residents of Ramot, were
distraught at the bitter news.
His levaya, which was held the following morning, was
attended by thousands of Jerusalem's residents, who were
overwhelmed by the tragedy which was unfolding before their
very eyes. Tears flowed like water when the small children
performed kriya.
Heart-rending cries pierced the air when the widow, who
was brought directly from the maternity ward of Bikur Cholim,
arrived at the levaya.
People also wept uncontrollably at the sight of the
niftar's parents standing beside the bier of their
son. All hearts melted as the tender orphans sobbed.
Although it was chol hamoed, hespedim were delivered
by Rav Menachem Mendel Fuchs, the rav of Kiryat Shomrei
Emunim of Ramot, the niftar's grandfather, HaRav
Yosef Sheinberger.
The rabbonim of Ramot and the gedolei HaTorah of Eretz
Yisroel have called on the community to rally to the aid of
the widow and her eight children.
In a special letter, they ask Yehudim, rachmonim bnei
rachmonim to help establish a fund for the family.
Contributions can be transferred to the Keren Misphachat
Sirota, in Bank Poalei Agudas Yisroel, branch 185, account
number 105-422312. Those wishing to receive a bank order for
the Keren Sirota Fund or to pay by means of a credit card,
should phone 1-800-22-36-36.
