A love song lit by a violin at both ends, so were Rabbi Eli and Dina the 14th connected as one body in a strong and loving bond. Together they formed a special and shared way of life, boundless love for each person. Hundreds of people crowded B'Tselem. Their house was open, time was not considered in their eyes as a private resource or property to be skimped on, until the small hours of the night they taught and talked.
Rabbi Eli and Dina lived a life of Torah and from this they knew how to open up to the world of music, science, philosophy and especially to the art of the soul, yet each had his own personality that radiated everywhere like the same candle that lights and lights others and lacks nothing.
The candle went out! He turned off while still upright, full of courage and splendor and radiating light and warmth, as if to say, 'More strength in my waist, another long way ahead.' The candle was cruelly extinguished by bloodthirsty savages, a cruelty so contrary to the softness and gentleness of the souls of Rabbi Eli and Dina.
Dina was associated with many circles. To us, to the ulpana family home in Kiryat Arba, she has been associated with being an educator and music teacher for over a decade. The studio has served as a habitat for her to develop her multi-content personality, for all her blessed talents. Education, teaching, studies, music, sensitivity, humor, joy and lots of love. Lots of love for man and nature.
Dina's contribution to the education of the students was very great. As part of her music lessons, she was good at conveying the melody of her life and her belief in life, in its wondrous nature.
In her good relations with the staff she found expression in the love of evil that lay within her, the love of man as he is.
In an article on child education, Dina wrote:
'Do not forget to look for the good in everything, even the drop you have inside. Help your friends and all the good people in your circles. Modestly close the door, do not rush to publish everything immediately, there is no need to talk about anything, act humbly, cooperatively, this is already a great blessing. Without twisted analyzes and endless analyzes, do not wait until you are smarter and more experienced, it's time to act, it's time to act. '
Excerpt that Dina really loved:
Only for today will I try to adapt to what exists and I will not try to adapt everything to my desires, I will accept everything that comes as it is and adapt myself to everything.
Just for today I will try to toil my mind, learn something helpful, read something that requires awareness, understanding and concentration.
Only for today in three things has benefited my soul, I will do something useful to someone without him knowing, if the thing is known it will not count. I will do at least two things that I do not want to do just for training and I will not show anyone that my feelings have been hurt, I may be hurt but today they will not see it.
Only for today will I be more positive, I will see my best, I will dress properly, I will speak calmly, I will behave politely, I will not criticize others even slightly, I will not look for flaws in anything and I will not try to correct anyone other than myself.
Only today I will have a plan, I may not be able to do it completely, but it will be with me and I will spare myself reckless actions and wrong decisions.
Only for today I will have half an hour just for myself, I will try to relax for this time and I will sometimes try to examine my life in a more positive light.
Only for today I will not be deterred and especially I will not be afraid to enjoy because what is beautiful and I will believe that as I look at the world, so the world will show me.
Dina loved this passage very much, her acts of kindness and treatment of those around her never made her neglect her personal progress in an examining and criticizing eye. It seems that these things that were meant only for today were adopted by Dina every day.
There are girlfriends, there are friendships of stratum, there are girlfriends of Shabbat, there are girlfriends of neighbors and there are girlfriends of girls. There are weekday companies and there are good day companies. And there are friendships of an initial spark in the soul that intensify and become a bond of mind, a bond that is not tied on a daily basis but a bond that bridges an abyss, a bond that does not require a monthly meeting, but a bond that is a spiritual need. A bond of genuine support.
Dina had such a real connection.
The sounds that came up in Dina's playing shook the capillaries of the soul, even if it was a modern classical melody that was not drawn from the sources, there was something sacred about it. Dina also consecrated the sand.
Two days after the murder, a student of Dina's came from the last place she had taught and told the girls of the studio how Dina had brought a lot of stories from the studio during her lessons at the Binyan Shalem Institute, in a course in education. In every lesson she taught at the institute, she always revived the topic she talked about in examples from the studio and her work area with the girls in examples from the trips, Saturdays and daily conduct of the educational staff.
The student, Chaya Maman, said that in her last lesson, as absurd as it sounded, Dina dealt with the issue of bereavement, as if she had prepared everyone to deal with her difficult disappearance. Since this was the last lesson in the series of lessons, Dina asked to end the lesson with a tone of encouragement, she told the following story, so that we could draw from it a lesson about our ability to be strong.
The story took place in Rosh Hanikra, where Rabbi Eli and Dina went for a walk while Dina was sad, feeling that everything was collapsing.
There between the crevices during a stormy winter, when in Rosh Hanikra it is more noticeable that the waves crashed on the crevices again and again in extremely strong movements, from different directions, in diverse and noisy currents and colors, where in those moments it was so easy to want to join those waves .
But as Dina delves into the crashing currents, he distracts me and tells her 'Stop for a moment your gaze on the currents, change your focus from the waves and turn it towards the rock towards which the waves are crashing and shattering, note that the rock stands and does not move. We do not change and are not affected despite all the currents, shades and winds. Despite the explosions, it remains mature, solid and stable because it is connected to a deep and deep place, an inexhaustible source, a full source. "
Photographed by Eli Horowitz on the same trip
A month and a half before the murder, Dina was sitting with one of her distinguished students from the studio, Oshrit Isaacs. Oshrit had just finished writing a letter to her friend Maayan Arbel and after Oshrit closed the envelope and planned to send the envelope, Dina asked to take the opportunity and add a few words of her own to Maayan Arbel on the envelope.
Dina wrote: "Maayan, I'm in heaven sitting with Oshrit drinking coffee in Old Jerusalem and thinking of you, love Dina."
Jacob Sofer
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