Murdered teen’s family is moved by pledges

OVER 100 cards from Manchester families have been delivered to the home of murdered Israeli teenager Naftali Frenkel. The cards contained messages of hope and commitments from members of south Manchester synagogues to charities and communal organisations which would be performed in memory of the three young Israelis murdered in the West Bank.

The idea originated at a memorial service held jointly by the South Man- chester, Hale, Yeshurun and Shaarei Hayim congregations. Hale rabbi Joel Portnoy had called on the 500 people at the service, which his shul hosted, to show that “vile acts of hate must be drowned with acts of love — and certainly never revenge”.

Rabbi Portnoy took the cards to Israel last week and his Modi’in-based son delivered them to Naftali Frenkel’s mother, Rachel.

“Mrs Frenkel was clearly very touched and said the cards would be passed on to the other families,” Rabbi Portnoy added.

Plant worker: Moishy Hassell at his job at a garden centre