Greenwich, Conn., family mourning loss of nephew who was soldier in Israel Defense Forces
GREENWICH, Conn. -- A Fairfield County family is mourning the death of a beloved nephew, a soldier killed by the terror group Hamas in the early hours of last weekend's assault on Israel.
"Twenty seven years was not enough. He had his whole life ahead of him. We're gonna really miss him. He was a wonderful kid," Debby Ziering said.
Debby Ziering is home in Greenwich, but on Tuesday morning her heart was 6,000 miles away in Israel, where her beloved nephew, Aryeh Ziering, was laid to rest.
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Aryeh Ziering was a captain in the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF. He was among the first to race south from Tel Aviv as the terror attack unfolded Saturday morning.
Debby Ziering said her nephew went to aid an injured colleague.
"When he stood up to call the medic, he got shot," she said.
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Aryeh Ziering was one of four children born to her brother, Mark, and his wife, Debbie. They moved to Israel many years ago.
Mark Ziering spoke at the funeral.
"His commitment and convictions told him this is what I believe, and this is what we do, and I'm going to be there and defend this country that is so important to me," Mark Ziering said.
Debby Ziering spent time with her nephew in April. She said, with family, he was fun-loving and relaxed.
"There was a whole different side to him, seeing him as a captain, seeing him with his troops. He gave 200% to his guys, and they loved him," she said. "And although he was a very brave and heroic soldier, that's really not who he was, and that's really not who he wanted to be."
Her nephew was contemplating what to do after six years in the IDF.
The next chapter in his life, forever unwritten.
While growing up, Aryeh Ziering spent summers with family here in the Northeast. He had numerous relatives who survived the Holocaust.
