12-Year-Old Breslov Community Boy Drowns in Jordan River Near Yesod HaMaala

A tragic incident has struck the Breslov community in Modiin Illit, particularly in the Brachfeld neighborhood, with the drowning death of 12-year-old Elchanan Karni. Elchanan, born and raised in Modiin Illit, was the son of Israel Karni, a respected member of the Breslov Hasidic community and a scholar at the 'Chatzot' kollel in Brachfeld. The family was on an organized vacation in northern Israel during the Bein Hazmanim period when Elchanan went missing while on a boat in the Jordan River near Yesod HaMaala.

Rescue teams and ZAKA volunteers from the northern district conducted extensive searches and eventually found Elchanan lifeless. Magen David Adom teams confirmed his death at the scene. The Breslov Talmud Torah in Brachfeld, where Elchanan was about to enter eighth grade, received the devastating news with shock and deep sorrow. Teachers and classmates described him as a charming, beloved boy with good character and dedication to his studies.

This tragedy compounds recent grief in the Breslov community, which mourned the death of Moshe Glinsky, another student from the same Talmud Torah, who died in a severe car accident on the 17th of Tammuz. Both boys’ fathers study together at the kollel. ZAKA volunteers continue to honor Elchanan’s memory at the site. Funeral details will be announced later. The community prays that his soul be bound in the bond of life.