The murder of an 18-year-old yeshiva student by an alleged prostitute in a Jerusalem park early Thursday morning has stunned and grieved the Orthodox community here.
Eliezer Schlesinger, son of a prominent rabbi, was fatally shot while walking with a friend in Sacher Park shortly after midnight.
His assailant, an under-age Israeli Arab living in western Jerusalem, was apprehended by a private security officer and turned over to police. She is said to have admitted the crime.
Because the girl is a minor, police did not disclose her name.
According to the army radio, police believe the killing was an anti-Jewish act. But the radio report cited no confirming evidence. Some reports said the motive is unclear.
The dead youth was the son of Rabbi Yehuda Moshe Schlesinger, dean of the Kol Torah yeshiva in the Bayit Vegan quarter of Jerusalem. His son attended a different yeshiva in Nahalot.
According to teachers and friends, Schlesinger and a classmate took a break from their studies at about midnight Thursday to stroll in the park close to their yeshiva. They were approached by a girl who began a conversation in fluent colloquial Hebrew.
The victim’s companion said the girl expressed despair with life, pulled out a pistol and fired several rounds, killing Schlesinger.
“He was a pure soul and an excellent student,” said Moshe Vislovsky, dean of the yeshiva Schlesinger attended.
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