Avi Wolanski

Aug 5, 2002 - Avi Wolanski, 29, and his wife Avital, 27, of Eli, were killed when terrorists opened fire on their car as they were traveling on the Ramallah-Nablus road near Eli in Samaria.

Avi and Avital Wolanski had spent the weekend with Avital's parents in Moshav Tekuma and were driving home late Sunday night with their two children, three-year-old son Yigal and eight-month-old Nadav. As they neared their home, a gunman with a Kalashnikov rifle opened fire at the car from the side of the road. Some 30 bullets hit the vehicle. Avi and Avital, who was carrying their third child, were killed; Yigal was injured. Their car was found riddled with 10 bullet holes.

Avi Wolanski, the son of Rabbi Oded Wolanski, formerly one of the best known rabbis of the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, was born in Jerusalem and raised in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. Rabbi Oded Wolanski later founded the Zionist-Haredi yeshiva of Har Hamor in the Bayit Vegan quarter of Jerusalem.

Avi remained in the army after his group from the hesder yeshiva had completed its service, serving as a lieutenant in the armored corps. He graduated from the Ariel College and taught in the pre-military academy at Eli, as well as in his father's yeshiva.

Avi Wolanski was buried alongside his wife in Jerusalem. They leave behind their two children, Yigal and Nadav.