Father, Two Sons Succumb to Coronavirus

As ministers in the coronavirus cabinet assessed the current lockdown on Wednesday night, Channel 12 carried news of a father and his two sons from Moshav Ahisamach in central Israel who had died within three weeks of one another.

The father, 77-year-old Eliyahu Shamka, was hospitalized after suffering from complications related to the virus, according to the report. But after a short time, Eliyahu’s two sons, Rahamim, 58, and Avraham, 53, were also hospitalized in rooms near their father. The three of them passed away in less than a month, all due to complications from the virus.

“When the Selichot began, Dad said he wanted to be in Selichot at least, after six months without being in the synagogue,” his daughter Galit told Channel 12 in an interview. “He kept the rules, but it turned out that there were two verified [carriers] and unfortunately it was already too late. My brother got infected, my father got infected, and several other mitpallelim.”

“Everyone who called to comfort me, I just asked him, I do not have time right now to cry for Dad, with all the pain, pray for my brothers. Avraham was better off at first, he even told me two more days he would be released. And suddenly after Dad passed away he just collapsed.”

“Except for diabetes, they had no background illness. They were perfectly healthy people. There was no expectation at all. I did not think it would end like this, he said.”