Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Sad news -- the loss of a FoLC

I received a very sad email in my box this afternoon. Yael Kfir's sister wrote to say that, "Yael was murderd by a suicide-bomber on September 9th, 2003 (a little more than 6 monthes ago), in Tzrifin (that's near Tel-Aviv), Israel."

Yael was a long-time FoLC and was quite active in the fandom a few years ago. She enjoyed fanfic and regularly sent feedback, both publicly and privately, and joined in on fanfic/L&C discussions. As I recall, she was a college student during her active days on the list, and I believe she would have been in her early 20's when she was killed.

I don't know whether she had joined these message boards (I was notified in regards to the LCFIC yahoo group), but I thought everyone would like to know.

Kathy

This is such sad news, Kathy.

I had noticed that Yael hadn't been around for a while, but I knew she was doing military service and often disappeared for months on end.

There's more information about the attack which killed her here:
http://goldwater.mideastreality.com/twinattacks2.html

If you scroll down, you'll see Yael listed as one of the victims. She was only 21.

After so many terrorist attacks around the world in places where FoLCs live, and so many times when I've been afraid that someone we know might be a victim, I was completely unprepared for this one.

Yael often wrote me feedback on my stories. She was an enthusiastic participant in the Kerth quizzes, and played Dan Scardino wonderfully - and poignantly - when we did the OUATIM roleplay on the fic list a few years ago.

I will miss you, Yael. Rest in peace.


Wendy

When will terrorists, whatever their cause, wherever they are, realise that murder and destruction does not get them what they want?!

I'm still in shock over this terrible news. Like many of our friends from Israel, Yael was always on my mind when watching the awful pictures that appear nightly on my TV screen and I remember watching the aftermath of this attack on the news. Never for one moment even imagining that anyone I knew was involved.

In the article I found on the net, I think the most poignant note was "Had ambitions to be an astronaut." Yael's ambitions may have been cut short in the most brutal and unjust of ways, but her memory will live on with us, just as the stars she aspired to reach do.

I'll remember her as bright and cheerful, always sweet when sending story feedback. A senseless waste of a life that brightened my world a little for too short a time.

RIP, Yael.


LabRat

I, too, remember Yael from the fic list. Before she joined the army for her military service, she was quite active, taking part in discussions, answering Kerth quizzes, sending feedback to us authors...

Digging through my old email folders, I found an old feedback post that she made for one of my stories. She was always so supportive and encouraging, as well as funny in her comments - in the email I dug out she was making a joke about being with Elena on preferring the evil ending to a fanfic.

What strikes me most tonight is that she was only 21. Only 21. She had her whole life ahead of herself, she had ambitions, she would probably have succeeded in them... and all of that was taken away from her in one dreadful second.

Every time there are news reports about terrorism attacks, I think about those FoLCs who live in areas where terrorism is part of the daily life. I wonder if they're okay, but always I dismiss it, believing that because I know them, it's not going to happen. There are millions of people in Israel after all - why would it be *them*? What happened to Yael proved that it's wrong.

We'll all miss you, Yael. We'll always remember you fondly.

Kaethel

I didn't know Yael, but what happened to her is really unfair and terrible

AnnaBtG.

September 9th is my birthday. :rolleyes: Why is there always something awful happening around my birthday?

Anyway, I didn't know Yael, but being originally from Israel I feel very close to this. I am always mad when I hear something like this. There was a bombing yesterday in Ashdod, for example - my grandparents live there. They are alright, but it was quite a scare.

It always makes me sad when someone loses their life so young. It makes me feel almost guilty when I think about how some of my friends back in Israel may not be as safe as I am, in Toronto.

Julie

This makes me very sad. I always enjoyed Yael's feedback comments, both private and public.

Irene

I didn't know her either, but it does make you wonder if it could happen to any of us these days. It's terrible when you can put a name to those statistics, and even worse when you know them as many of us here did.

Rest in peace, Yael. The world's a sadder place without you.

Kathy, thank you for sharing this news with us, even though it's shaken me to the core.

It's more than a little frightening to discover how easily we accept the unbelievable as routine. When this all started three and a half years ago, Yael and I would send e-mails to each other every time there was a bombing in our respective vicinities. When did we stop doing that? When did it all become such a "normal" part of our lives?

There's not a person living here who doesn't know someone who was hurt or killed in one of the attacks. I checked Wendy's link and was even more upset to discover exactly why I'd missed Yael's name back then: it was the same day Dr. Applebaum was killed, together with his daughter, on the night before her wedding. Discovering one name or friend you know is enough to make you stop reading, as the pain is too much to bear. I never dreamed there would be another person on that agonizing list to personally grieve.

Yael was such a bright person with so much enthusiasm for her future.

Hamakom yenachem, Yael.

Hazel

That's so sad! I'm sorry, I don't recognize her name, but regardless, she was a FoLC and a human being. I do know what it is like to have someone taken from you unexpectedly and to wish they were still here.

I hope that someday all the terrorists will be gone so this tragedy will not happen again, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that day will come anytime soon.

Yael Kfir

A FoLC provided this link on Zoom's boards, so I'm spreading the word, so to speak. The page has a picture and a short biography about Yael, taken from the website of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Transcript

And this is a trascript of old e-mails where Yael is telling everyone about the beginning of her military service. Everyone told her to be careful, but I bet no one really imagined this would happen.

Julie

I don't know anybody here, but I am really saddened by this event.

It's always a tragedy to hear of such senseless killings.

Rest in peace, Yael.

May the world be a more peaceful place.