Son of Chabad Representative, Newlywed, Injured in Gaza Operation

(lubavitch.com) The fighting in Gaza hit very close to home today when IDF Corporal Nechemia Rubin and his commander, IDF Combat Officer Aharon Karov, were wounded early Tuesday morning when a mine exploded in a house they were searching for terrorists. Nechemia is the son of Rabbi Yehuda Rubin, director of Chabad of Alon Moreh.

Nechemia and Aharon were standing next to each other as they cleared a house outside Gaza City when a mine went off and shrapnel filled the air.

“It’s just miraculous that his injuries are moderate considering how close he was to a mine explosion,” said Rabbi Rubin who has four other sons in the army.

He is being treated at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva where he underwent emergency surgery to remove shrapnel from his eye and was treated for burns on his face and arms. Nechemia Rubin’s bride of two months, Meital, and his mother Orlin are at his bedside.

Aharon, who left the Gaza front to get married and returned to fighting the next day, remained in critical condition at the same hospital.

“One of the soldiers told me that after the boys were hurt, the first and only thing Aharon asked was ‘is everyone okay?’” said Rabbi Zev Karov, Aharon’s father.

Rabbi Rubin asked everyone to say pray for Aaron Yehoshua ben Chaya Shoshana and his son Nechemia Shalom Dovber ben Orlin.