Mourners gathered in Ra’anana in central Israel Wednesday afternoon to pay their last respects to Elan Ganeles, the 26-year-old American man who was murdered in a terrorist shooting attack on Route 90 near the Dead Sea on Monday.
Ganeles, a native of Connecticut, was a dual US-Israeli citizen who served n the IDF after graduating from high school. After his service, Ganeles returned to the US for college, studying in Columbia University.
Having graduated from Columbia last year, Ganeles frequently visited Israel, and was in the country February to attend a wedding celebration.
“He was the biggest gift in our lives. He wanted so much to see the world and all its aspects,” recounted Elan’s mother, visiting Israel for her son’s funeral. “Our loss is a loss for the [entire] world – of such a bright, brilliant, emerging star,” she continued.
“We feel like a part of our being has been taken from much,” she stated. “He was so loved, he will be missed so much.”
Simon Ganeles eulogized his brother.
“He was the most curious, genuine, and honest person I knew,” he said.
“Elan loved his friends more than anything,” continued Simon. “His friends were his family. He was in Israel to see all his friends from different parts of his life. He had more friends than anyone I know.”