Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet

Blessed is the True Judge, or Blessed is the Judge of Truth

According to Jewish tradition, that's the traditional opening when announcing someone's death.

The emergency beeper beeped, and I just knew it was bad news. Though I couldn't guess what, and I try not to.

"A tzaddik (righteous person) died," it said. "The Tzaddik, Yosef Chaim Shuker."

Yossi Shuker came to Shiloh to learn in the Hesder Yeshiva here. That's a post-high school religious studies center which combines traditional religious studies with army service in a five year program. He was involved with life in Shiloh and its branch of the youth movement, Bnai Akiva.

Later on he married Ronit. Soon after, Rachella Druk was murdered, and Yossi, together with Ronit, were instrumental in establishing Shvut Rachel in her memory, a yeshuv just to the east of Shiloh. Soon after they took on the challenge of another new community, Givat Achiyah, north of Shvut Rachel.

In Achiyah they started a business producing olive oil. Then tragedy struck, when Yossi was caught in the press and seriously injured, 99.99% paralyzed. After a while it was discovered that he could hear, see and communicate in a very, very minimal way.

Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet