The rabbi of Westminster synagogue has paid tribute to two of his teenage congregants who were killed in the Easter terror attacks in Sri Lanka, praising them as “loving, thoughtful and supportive”.
Rabbi Benji Stanley said Amelie and Daniel Linsey “brought core Jewish values to our world”, saying they had “touched many of our lives, and their memories will continue to do so.”
The brother and sister were among the eight Britons killed in a series of attacks on sites in Sri Lanka, in which hundreds of people were killed.
They were on the last day of a holiday when their hotel was targeted by bombings. Their father, who was also present, survived the attacks.
Rabbi Stanley described the Linsey family as “beloved members… for many years.”
He said that Daniel, 19, “epitomised the value of ohev et habriyot, loving one’s fellow creatures. He loved animals, and was always keen to help people. He had volunteered in an orphanage in Ethiopia. He had worked especially hard to go to university, and was looking forward to this prospect.”
The rabbi called Amelie, 15, “a great thinker, remarkably skilled in both being there for others and lovingly challenging people on issues that she cared about.”
The brother and sister are survived by their parents, Matthew and Angelina, and their brothers, David, 21 and Ethan, 12.
“We pledge our love and support to the Linsey family every step of the way”, Rabbi Stanley said.
“It is their qualities that we need more than ever right now, and that we as a community will bring in their honour.”
The Linsey family has announced that it will be setting up a foundation to help the hospital in Sri Lanka where their loved ones were taken.
‘My dad suggested calling it ‘Love Is The Answer’ after his and my sister’s favourite song," David Linsey told the Daily Mail.
"I think we should have their names on it. Call it the Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation, so they live on."
