'His parents weren't at his wedding; they'll be at his funeral'

Yehonatan Sasson, who was a student of Yaakov Pinto at the Hedvat HaTorah yeshiva, spoke this morning (Tuesday) about his counselor who was murdered in the terrorist attack at the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem.

"Yaakov is an inspiring story. He immigrated alone to Israel from Spain at a fairly young age. He found himself a high school yeshiva on his own and then a high yeshiva. He also found himself a job as a counselor at our dorms," Sasson said in an interview with Kan Reshet B.

He added, "As a dorm student, at the end of the day you are alone, but he was our mother and father. He knew how to speak to each one of us in our own language and it was fun to be with him. He had an unforgettable smile that was valuable in every situation - from difficulty to joy. He maintained his principles and values. On the one hand he did not compromise on them and on the other hand he was the most pleasant person imaginable."

Yehonatan added that Yaakov got married only three months ago, but his parents could not attend the wedding because of the war with Iran. "His parents weren't at his wedding; they'll be at his funeral, with him on his final journey."

Yaakov Pinto, 25, an immigrant from Spain, studied at the Derech Emuna Yeshiva in Lod. "His future was cruelly cut short. Our hearts are with his new wife, his family and his community in these difficult moments," they mourned him in the Ramot neighborhood. Yaakov was a counselor at the Haredi high school yeshiva Hedvat HaTorah for the past two years. "Since his arrival in Israel, he has devoted his entire existence to the sacred work of education," the yeshiva's management mourned him. "Out of a deep love for young people and boundless devotion."