The battle to ensure a Jewish burial for murdered Yitzhak Alishayiv was won when the Duvi Honig of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce used his contacts to overcome bureaucratic hurdles in Turkey and the US.
The funeral of U.S. Jew Ytzhak “Igor” Eliyashiv murdered in Turkey last week, is to take place Monday morning in New York City.
Duvi Honig, CEO and founder of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, Misaskim NPO, and Zev Brenner of Talkline Radio, overcame Turkish bureaucracy to bring Igor Eliyashiv’s body to Jewish burial.
In a harrowing event that gripped the Orthodox Jewish community of New York City, Yitzhak “Igor” Alishayiv, a beloved member of Congregation Heichal Moshe (Vorhand Shteibel) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was brutally murdered while vacationing in Turkey. Alishayiv, 46-year-old custodian and gabai (sexton) at the synagogue, was a nature enthusiast and wildlife photographer. He had traveled to the remote village in the Antalya region to capture the area’s rugged beauty and immerse himself in the tranquility of the outdoors.
Alishayiv was last heard from on April 28th. Friends and family grew concerned when communication ceased, and their worst fears were confirmed when Turkish authorities discovered he had been stabbed to death by the owner of the modest guesthouse where he was staying. The motive for the heinous crime, reportedly, was monetary in nature, and perhaps connected to the close to $50,000 worth of expensive camera equipment Alishayiv had with him.
Alishayiv’s murder in a foreign land sparked an effort to bring him back to the United States for a proper Jewish burial. The unity of all Jews and the high value Judaism accords respect and dignity for the dead lie behind a concept called a “meit mitzvah” which refers to a a case of a corpse found in a city of non-Jews or on the road in which there is no one to bury the victim. The Torah commands that the person who discovers the body must do nothing until proper burial is ensured. This is considered kindness in its purest form because the dead person has no way of expressing appreciation for the efforts in their behalf.
The burden of bringing Alishayiv’s body back to the US, however, proved immense, with layers of Turkish bureaucratic red tape encumbering efforts. Misaskim, an advocacy organization dedicated to providing services for the care of the dead and mourners, had taken charge, but navigating the complex bureaucracies in Turkey and Turkish officials who were hesitant to release the body due to ongoing investigations delayed any clear timeline. Moreover, the U.S. Embassy and State Department had to expedite the release of documents, which could take an additional week before finalization.
Duvi Honig, founder and head of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and a frequent Arutz Sheva columnist, realized that his close established connections to both Turkish authorities and U.S. officials could be of crucial help and stepped in to aid and expedite the process. Zev Brenner of Talkline Radio utilized his platform to call for assistance. As a close friend of Alishayiv from Rabbi Vorhand’s shul on the Upper West Side, Brenner worked spreading awareness together with Misaskim Co Founder Meyer Weill, amplifying the urgency of the need to help bring back the “meit mitzvah”.
When it was discovered that the forensic lab in Antalya was closed on Sunday, Honig and his partners in the Turkish Government managed to get hold of the head of forensics on his mobile phone and ask to initiate release of the body. In addition, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce leadership reached out on Sunday to Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State and a close friend of the community, asking for his help on the U.S. side to help expedite the paperwork. Landau responded to Honig’s request immediately and instructed his staff to facilitate the issue.
After all was ready, the Turkish Prosecutor’s office tried to stop the release of the body, necessitating that Honig call his contact at President Erodgan’s office, and he was able reach an agreement to release the body before the Sabbath.
The Turkish Government then asked Honig to relay to the Orthodox Jewish Community their deepest condolences and promised him they would prosecute the murderer to the ultimate level of the law.
Alishayiv’s friends remember him as a gentle soul who saw innocence in animals and sought peace in nature’s embrace. As his community rallies to ensure his final journey is marked with dignity, their unwavering resolve exemplifies the communal solidarity that defines them, ensuring that even in death, Yitzhak Alishayiv is surrounded by the love that marked his life.
On Sunday, Misaskim confirmed they had the body, reaching JFK airport at 7:39pm Sunday evening with the funeral announced for Monday morning 9am U.S. time at 63-36 99th St, Rego Park NY 11374 and burial at 11 a.m. at the Wellwood cemetery, 1400Wellwood av West Babylon NY.
May Yitzhak Eliyashiv’s memory be blessed and may his family find comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
