Bureaucratic Red Tape Holding Up Transport of Bochur Who Drowned In Uman

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eliyahu-eliThree days after a 19-year-old Israeli bochur passed away in Uman, Ukraine, his body still remains in Europe due to bureaucratic red tape. Habochur Eliyahu Eli, a talmid of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, was toivelingin a river in Uman, near the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov, on Thursday, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and was swept away by the water. The tragedy occurred as a group of men were saying Tashlich near the body of water and Eliyahu went into the water to toivel himself.

When he did not resurface, his companions made many efforts to retrieve him, but were unsuccessful. Some ran for help and managed to find a former professional diver who was also in Uman for the Yom Tov. The diver found Eliyahu, but attempts to resuscitate him were not successful.Three days after the tragedy, bureaucratic delays have prevented the transport of the niftar for kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

The body has been under the shemirah of Yidden, expecting to quickly bring it to Israel for burial right after Yom Tov. The aron, however, is being held at the airport in Kiev, Ukraine, and it was unclear late last night when it will be allowed to be flown to Israel by Ukrainian authorities.

“We received final approval for bringing the body,” related Shimi Grossman of Zaka, “but the aron also must pass customs control, and Ukrainian customs officials do not work on Sunday.”

Eliyahu’s parents and family have been waiting anxiously during their time of tragedy. “We do not want to show the Ukrainians that we are anxious to release the body, as they may suspect something is amiss, even though everything is fine,” related Grossman.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}


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