3 Year Old Daughter Of Chabad Rabbi Killed In Jerusalem

Girl was run over by the school bus that had just dropped her off. Driver appears to be untrained.

The girl's father is the nephew of Rabbi Yoel Kahn. Her mother is the daughter of Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz – AKA, Schwartzie – from the LA area.

3-year-old girl run over by van buried

Matthew Wagner • THE JERUSALEM POST

Shula Swerdlov, the three-year-old daughter of Chabad representatives Rabbi Yossi and Hindel Swerdlov, was buried Tuesday at the Chabad section of Har Hamenuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem.

The burial was delayed until the return from the US of Shula's father, head and director of Chabad's Children of Chernobyl, an organization run by Tze'irei Agudath Chabad that helps Jewish children still living near the radioactive region in Ukraine.

"Normally, Jerusalem's custom is not to delay burials overnight," said a Chabad spokesman. "But in this case an exception was made."

The three-year-old was run over by the same bus that had transported her and other school children to their homes after school. According to news reports, the driver had received NIS 120 to fill in for a friend.   The little girl was rushed in critical condition to Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Kerem, where she died.

The spokesman said that at the time of the accident, the girl's father was raising money to save Jewish children still living near Chernobyl. He said that the organization had brought to Israel about 2,400 Jewish children, many of them orphans. Over half have ended up remaining in Israel.

"Next Monday, for instance, Chabad is organizing the wedding of a former Chernobyl child. While the groom's parents' names are on the invitation, only Chabad is mentioned for the bride's family because she was orphaned at the age of five."

Shula was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Jerusalem's Rehavia neighborhood on Monday afternoon.

Yossi Swerdlov grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and his wife Hindel grew up in Los Angeles. The couple immigrated to Israel shortly after marrying. Shula was the youngest of four children. Sources in Chabad said that the Swerdlov family is known for its hospitality, hosting newly arrived families and visitors from English-speaking countries.

Comments

[Shlomo]

This is so sad Baruch Dyan Emett

[Rachel]

It seems like the minibus that took her was illegal the driver that actually drove and the driver that usually drives were both operating illegally. The kindergarthen that was using this operation knowingly called them. The area of school/kindergarthern busing is totally unsupervised and regulations and guidlines never enforced. Very sad. This should never have happend. The kid should have never droped off without a grown up. the 8-year old brother is not an adult for this purpose. The driver claiming that he never realized that he hit the girl and hence continued driving... rumors are that he had over 30 trafic violations.... A terrible tragedy.

[PishPosh]

This is what happens when these Haredis are allowed uninspected, unsupervsed, unlicensed, access to motor vehicles. A rachmanos on this poor maydeleh. A rachmanos on all of us.

[isa]

I bet this 'school bus' didn't have special mirrors so one can see into the blind spots.
My brother installed these special mirrors on his wife's minivan because she picks up some friends kids on a regular basis.
He then installed these mirrors on his truck too!

[effie]

A three year old is too young to get off a bus with out adult supervision.

[Dr. Dave]

My wife and I were thrown out of our local Chabad for having the temerity to insist that we take advantage of professional yellow bus service with seat belts and a professional driver (provided by Agudath Israel) rather than the rabbi's old minivan with a nonprofessional driver and children forced to sit on the floor unbuckled due to the number of kids on the bus.

At stake was state money to subsidize the bus transportation.

The rabbi involved, having delusions of grandeur, tries to pretend I am in cherem, by trying to not count me in minyans when we meet at neutral ground events.

All the other chabad shluchim in the area ignore him.

He has also told congregants that he would not attend simchas if I were invited.

It is so worth it to be able to sleep at night.

May Hashem comfort this poor child's family among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Visit Williamsburg Brooklyn any weekday morning and watch the Satmar school bus drivers in action. Frightening beyond belief.

[Nachum]

As it happens, there's never been any proof that anyone became sick because of Chernobyl. Sounds strange, but you can look it up.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Nachum, it's just another way to schnor money from wealthy Americans and Israelis, and to recruit followers from Russian immigrants.

[Alex]

Nachum,

Your statement alone proves that you are an idiot!!! If you want a proof just look at the cancer rates in Ukraine/Belarus.

[Dave Marshall]

Very sad. Baruch Dayan Emet.

[Reader]

A three year old is too young to BE on a school bus. I cannot imagine her getting on or off the bus by herself without falling.

[Nachum]

Alex, what are you talking about?

[soso]

@nachum:
What? No increase in leucemia and other cancer forms, birth deformation, etc. after 1986 in the Tchernobyl region.

Don't think so...

[effie]

A three year old is too young to BE on a school bus.

Good point.

[R]

that is really sad. A horrible lesson as well to the school who employed this service.
I feel for her family.

[Nachum]

"What? No increase in leucemia and other cancer forms, birth deformation, etc. after 1986 in the Tchernobyl region."

Actually no. Nothing that can't be chalked up to increased testing and attention.

I'm not saying there were no affects. I'd expect there to be. It's just that the science is hardly settled. So by all means, treat all ill people, but don't start blaming it on one thing or another to make it "flashier."