American teens pray for friend

Daniel Wultz, a Florida native wounded in Tel Aviv terror attack 2 weeks ago, is still fighting for his life at Sourasky Medical Center; his classmates arrive in Israel, hold emotional prayer service at hospital

Moran Zelikovich|Published: 04.30.06 , 14:07

Some two weeks ago 16-year-old Daniel Wultz from Weston, Florida, was critically wounded in the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv’s old central bus station. When he was rushed to the Sourasky Medical Center, accompanied by his father who also wounded in the attack, Daniel begged doctors “keep me alive” – then lost consciousness. He underwent emergency surgery for 12 hours, followed by four additional operations. A few days ago, he awoke from the coma and was rushed into the operating room for another surgery.

“Daniel’s condition is very different due to damages incurred by a number of his body’s systems,” Dr. Dror Sofer, director of the Yitzhak Rabin Trauma center at the hospital, said Sunday morning.

Daniel's father Tuly (L). 'Don't stop praying' (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Daniel was supposed to visit Israel for one week as part of a yearly class trip organized by the David Posnack Hebrew Day School which he attended. Instead, his classmates, some 30 students, visited the hospital to pray for their friend’s recovery. The group, which landed in Tel Aviv Wednesday, will stay in Israel for two weeks, during which time they’ll visit a variety of sites across the country.

Since David was wounded in the terror attack, students at his Florida school made white bracelets with a blue bead signifying their concern for their classmate. Dr. Laurence Kutler, principal of the school, who is chaperoning the trip, said after the prayer at the hospital, “All the staff and students are wearing the bracelet and we’ve sworn to wear it until Daniel gets well and returns to us. We’re all one family. We came to show support for Daniel’s family. We feel great honor that you let us pray here, and we hope our prayers reach Daniel and give him strength.”

Danielle Hadar, a girl in Daniel’s class and acquaintance of the Wultz family, told Ynet, “he’s a really nice kid who played basketball and very much believed in prayer and Judaism. When we heard that he was wounded we were shocked and there was total silence in the school. It turned into a very sad place.” Despite the grave circumstances, Hadar said that she wasn’t scared to come to Israel. “We feel more secure here than anywhere else. We have two security guards that accompany us everywhere,” Hadar said.

'Daniel said he loved me then lost consciousness'

Daniel and his father came to Israel to visit for Passover. They wanted to eat Shawarma, one of Daniel’s favorite foods, and sought out a kosher restaurant. The taxi driver who drove them recommended “Mayor’s Shawarma” and brought them to the stand at the old central bus station where the attack took place a few minutes later.

Yekutiel (Tuly) Wultz, Daniel’s father also suffered wounds in the bombing and is still having difficulty walking. With tears streaming down his face, he said to his son’s classmates, “It is very hard for me to talk. I wanted to thank you for the support and the prayer. Daniel needs a lot of energy to fight for his life. We are lucky that we are here in this hospital, which is fighting very hard for Daniel’s life. Daniel is strong, but don’t stop praying until we know he is out of danger.”

In a conversation with Ynet, Wultz said, “Daniel is a very warm boy, athletic, strong, willed and a great believer in God. It is hard for us, but with that we have great faith.”

He described the terrible moments of the attack: “When the terrorist exploded Daniel was on the ground. I asked him to stay on the ground until the ambulance came, even though he asked me to lift him. I held his hand, and told him I love him, and he said he loved me, then lost consciousness.”

Sourasky manager, Professor Gabi Barabash, who has dealt with many terror victims throughout his career, was moved by the hospital prayer service. “We have treated over a thousand terror victims here,” Barabash told students. “I’ve seen a lot of hard sights, a lot of emotional and difficult moments. Your visit here and your prayers are really one of the most moving moments I have experienced.”

Professor Barabash said that Daniel was the first victim taken into the operating room for a difficult and complicated operation after the attack. “We didn’t lose hope, although we need something like 100 units of blood. We hope he will recover quickly, although he still faces a long and difficult battle,” he told students.