This is an email sent to Shoshana from Rebecca Minkus-Lieberman, a close friend from Princeton.
Dearest Shoshana-
Since I heard about Amir right before this past Shabbat, I have not stopped thinking of you, your mother, and Uri. I so wish that I had known earlier, that I had been able to be there for the shiva, been able to offer whatever comfort that is possible at a time like this.
Although I did not know Amir very well, I do have certain memories of him from the time that I spent with your family. He always reminded me so much of you. He always seemed to speak so quickly, as if his mouth was trying to catch up with the thoughts and ideas running through his mind. And I recall his smile and the way that he lovingly called you Shoshi. I remember the time that I came home with you for Rosh Hashanah. I remember Amir speaking with your father in the kitchen – about exactly what I don’t recall – but I do remember his manner and tone: he was discussing something with intensity, arguing his point with passion, pressing your father to look at a different perspective – one he was convinced was correct – and doing so with fierce conviction and love. I guess that’s what I recall most about him – his fiery passion about things he believed in and his intellectual commitment to questioning assumptions and ideas. In that way, he reminded me so much of you. I know how close the two of you were and how much you shared together, the trips, the bike rides, the valued conversations, the intense love and the thoughts of your souls. I mourn with you, Shoshana, and I cannot adequately express our condolences to you and your family on this tragedy. I am thinking about you every day and wishing that I could be there just to hug you.
Hamakom yenachem otach be’toch sha’ar avlei tzion ve’yerushalayim.
Much love-
Becca