In Honor of Liviu Librescu

From the Jerusalem Post:

"As Jews worldwide honored on Monday the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust, a 76-year-old survivor sacrificed his life to save his students in Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech College that left 33 dead and over two dozen wounded.

Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, threw himself in front of the shooter when the man attempted to enter his classroom. The Israeli mechanics and engineering lecturer was shot to death, "but all the students lived - because of him," Virginia Tech student Asael Arad - also an Israeli - told Army Radio.

Several of Librescu's other students sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he had blocked the gunman's way and saved their lives, said Librescu's son, Joe.

"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview from his home outside of Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."

Librescu was respected in his field, his son said."

What words are worthy of such a man? Only the Word itself. From the Book of Ecclesiasticus [also called Sirach]: 44:1-10, 13-14:

Let us now praise famous men,
  And our fathers in their generations.
The Lord apportioned to them great glory,
  his majesty from the beginning.
There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
  and were men renowned for their power,
giving counsel by their understanding,
  and proclaiming prophecies;
leaders of the people in their deliberations
  and in understanding of learning for the people,
  wise in their words of instruction;
those who composed musical tunes,
  and set forth verses in writing;
rich men furnished with resources,
  living peaceably in their habitations --
all these were honored in their generations,
  and were the glory of their times.

There are some of them who have left a name,
  So that men declare their praise.
And there are some who have no memorial,
  who have perished as though they had not lived;
they have become as though they had not been born,
  and so have their children after them.

But these were men of mercy,
  Whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten.
Their posterity will continue for ever,
  and their glory will not be blotted out.
Their bodies were buried in peace,
  and their name lives to all generations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May you know eternal peace, eternal light, eternal love, Professor Librescu; and may your name live to all generations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~