This was the question my daughter placed on social media after learning that her sister’s husband had
been attacked on a Washington, D.C. street within the shadow of the Capitol dome.
Garen was riding home on a motor scooter when a driver in a passing car threw a handful of trash his
way. My son-in-law responded with an expletive deleted or two. Then came the unspeakable. Two men,
emerged from the same car, now parked, approached Garen and pummeled his face with a fist.
Garen crumbled on the cement, his head hitting the unforgiving surface and he immediately went into a
seizure.
He did not know what him and did not know that he had been transported to the nearest trauma
center.
How did Emily, my daughter and his wife of 8 years find him? When he would not answer his phone, she
used an app that came up with the hospital’s location.
Garen has now been almost two weeks in the ICU. On Friday, he had a craniectomy to relieve the
pressure on his swollen and bruised brain.
My daughter’s mother-in-law, my older daughter and my wife and I have been babysitting for the
couple’s toddler daughter during this awful experience. Friends have been saying tehillim. Garen’s long
Hebrew name Eliav Omer Shmuel Avraham ben Chaya has been repeated from here to Israel.
Emily, because of Covid regulations, is only able to visit her husband each day from 2-6 p.m. Only one
person a day can visit. Garen’s mother has not been able to see her only child during this time.
Their little girl has asked for her daddy over and over again.
I wonder why is it that a person who chooses to live in Washington, D.C. cannot ride his scooter
peacefully through the streets without risking his life?
The D.C. Metropolitan Police are investigating the assault and have found video images of the
perpetrators.
What of the perpetrators? Do they care that they have possibly altered the lives of a young family?
Does it matter to them that man they could have killed gives money to charity, is outspoken about civil
equality and loves living in Washington, D.C?
Do we feel sorry for the perpetrators because they might have come from underprivileged families and
were not taught the values of civility?
For me the answer is no.
Anyone who would purposely interrupt the life of another person to vent their anger belongs in jail for a
long, long time. Anyone who would do this should pay restitution to the victim’s family.
I reached all the way down inside my feelings as a normally compassionate Jew. I want there to be other
opportunities for good for these two men. I could forgive them if they did the right thing for my family,
that is turn themselves in and face justice.
Of course, I know there are those who are going to say that people living in the inner city face these sort
of violent challenges as part of life in the city.’
That’s not good enough. There are enough amazing people keeping the most difficult neighborhoods
cohesive, loving and safe. These two thugs are an abomination to those who are really trying to make a
life, a city life work.
I’m hoping that my son-in-law is able to volunteer at the Jewish summer camp he loves so much. I am
hoping he is able to help me lead sedars during Passover. Mostly, I’m hoping that he can hold his
daughter in one arm and wrap his other around his wife’s waist in one beautiful family hug.
Eliav Omer Shmuel Avraham ben Chaya.
Remember that name. Please.
