Holocaust Survivor, Israeli Professor Died Heroically Saving Students at Virginia Tech
A 76-year old Holocaust survivor, Professor Liviu Librescu, sacrificed his life to save his students in Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech College that left 33 dead and over two dozen wounded. The Rumanian-born Israeli mechanics and engineering lecturer threw himself in front of the shooter, Cho Seung-hui, when the man attempted to enter his classroom. Professor Librescu was shot to death, "but all the students lived - because of him," Virginia Tech student Asael Arad - also an Israeli - told Army Radio. Several of Librescu's other students sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he blocked the gunman's way and saved their lives, said Librescu's son, Joe. The Jerusalem Post reports the story here. The Virginia Tech web page for Professor Librescu is here.
"Therefore Adam was created alone in the world to teach that whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." [Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:1 (22a)]. Cho Seung-hui, may his name be erased, destroyed 33 worlds yesterday. Professor Liviu Librescu, of blessed memory, saved an unknown number of worlds. May the Lord be his inheritance and may he rest in peace.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Update:For more on Professor Librescu, please see this post at Rick Richman's blog, Jewish Current Issues.
posted by The Kosher Hedgehog at 3:12 PM
|
2 Comments:
I have removed a comment left by an anonymous poster, which contained a link to a White Supremacist web site. It is hard to fathom the mental state of someone who would try to exploit the Virginia Tech murders to further his own agenda of racial hatred, but what the Virginia Tech murders teach is that evil exists and must be confronted. To Anonymous, please post your swill elsewhere--it is not welcome on the Hedgehog Blog.
Such acts of heroism, perhaps because they seem so rare, give us hope in the face of such unspeakable horror and loss. Thank you, Kosher Hedgehog for the post.
Post a Comment
<< Home