Liviu Librescu (Librescu family photo)Life is cruel, oh so very cruel. God must play dice with the world contrary to what Einstein said. How else can you account for Virgina Tech aeronautical engineering professor Liviu Librescu, who survived Hitler’s death camps only to die at the hands of a poor deluded 23 year old madman yesterday:
Students of an Israeli lecturer who died in the Monday massacre at a Virginia Tech said he saved the lives of several students by blocking the doorway of his classroom from the approaching gunman before he was fatally shot, his son said Tuesday.
…Students of Liviu Librescu, 76, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer in at Virginia Tech for 20 years, sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he blocked the gunman’s way and saved their lives, said the son, Joe.
“My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee,” Joe Librescu said from his home outside of Tel Aviv. “Students started opening windows and jumping out.”
…When Romania joined forces with Nazi Germany in World War II, the young Librescu was interned in a labor camp, and then sent along with his family and thousands of other Jews to a central ghetto in the city of Focsani, his son said. Hundreds of thousands of Romanian Jews were killed by the collaborationist regime during the war.
Who can say why people react the way they do in life and death situations. But I have a strong feeling that once you’ve survived the horror of the Holocaust you just realize that life has to be more than merely prolonging your existence. When you’ve looked evil in the face it is that much easier to know what to do when you glimpse it a second time.
NPR also did an audio tribute to Librescu today though I can’t find an audio link to it on their site. This Times of London story is quite moving. The NY Times covered his funeral today in Brooklyn. The story includes an interview with a student whose life Librescu saved.
Harry Reid was quoted today saying this tragedy didn’t mean there was any need for gun control legislation in this country. What an ass. I hope I haven’t sullied Prof. Librescu’s memory by using such strong language. But who does Reid take us for–fools? Of course this country desperately needs gun control legislation. This student was mentally ill and bought his guns LEGALLY! Does that tell you something about the ease with which disturbed people can wreak havoc on their fellow human beings?
I’m sorry to say that we are the laughingstock of the world in this regard. Well, not the laughingstock since no one is laughing at us now. But they are shaking their heads in wonder at how a nation known for common sense and the ability to solve problems can allow itself to be tied up in knots, thus preventing us from resolving one of the worst scourges of our society: gun violence. The NRA and the gun manufacturers in this country have blood on their hands. But they will never pay the price. They spend so much money in campaign contributions that they have the legislative process in the palm of their hands. This one great American tragedy. Will they ever pay a price for the blood of Americans needlessly spilled by their folly?
Who am I to second guess G-d, but some might say G-d allowed him survive Hitler so that he could save the lives of the students he saved on Monday. Not just the students lives, but his actions and his story will now serve to inspire countless people. Its hard to ever find comfort in death, but at least we could try in his case. What a hero!
Truly a sad crime where so many precious lives were extinguished and taken from their loved ones.
what this man did was HEROIC and impacting in the lives of those that were saved due to his selfless sacrifice.
Life is cruel, oh so very cruel. God must play dice with the world contrary to what Einstein said.
a man chooses to do what he chooses to do and does it despite Gods will. The parents of a child who decides to murder his fellow students then take his own like would certaily wish for their child not to entertain such thoughts , but the decission belongs to their child and not to them. Similarly GOD wishes for man to turn to HIM, but man like a rebeliious child refuses to lay down his will and seek wisdom. The will of man can take whichever way they choose, GOD does not force a man turn to HIM, but he does call him with words of wisdom.
life with rebelliious man is cruel, GOD must certainly wish that men stop playing dice with their life and turn to HIM.
We must begin to understand that mental illnesses are as serious a disease as Cancer or AIDS, and so on. This young man was obviously very sick – and our system is ill-equipped to deal with this problem – even when there were such obvious warning signs and a teacher who bent over backwards trying to get him that help…
But getting back to the main topic of this post – Prof Librescu was an amazing and heroic man. I feel that my life was enriched just hearing about him. May his memory shine a positive light on such a dark hour. Clearly someone who was trying to Heal the World.
Im sure if Mr Cho massacred 32 students at Hebrew University, many pundits would say that he was a naive 23 year old who was trying to make the world better
Many good men asking G-D need a reading from Spinoza, Kant……
Liviu became a hero because he was unlucky. A hero, a good impulse, and an unlucky man. Killed by a sick student. He fought back, and his sacrifice has to be remembered for eternity.
Young and old, if mentally ill, needs treatment.
Families, who have a mentally ill member must seek treatment, and the psychological profession must rise to the challenge. Reasonably priced medications must be available to reduce the risk of such a tragedy.
1. We need to set up a monument in the memory of Liviu
2. We need mass demonstrations to express our support and sympathy to the families and friends of the victims.
Amen to that, brother.
Richard, whether he was mentally ill or terribly angry i do not know. I do know that he also got admitted to a university and he may have been checked out by some mental health facility at the university, shall we have stricter laws on admittance to universities, maybe some mental health exams, although i suspect the wiley mental cases might learn how to make themselves appear sane on any questionaire. We dont need more laws in this already too legalistic society, what we need is to teach morality and respect for human life along with a sense of decency, but that might encroach on personal choice.
a few years ago a student chose to drive his vehicle into a gathering of students, and although i cant site a particular incident knives are also be used to commit mass murder by an angry, possibly disenfranchised individual, or a mentally disturbed student that got past the stringent university mental health entrance exams.
cars, guns, knives..universities..they are not to be blamed for killings.
Im sure if Mr Cho massacred 32 students at Hebrew University, many pundits would say that he was a naive 23 year old who was trying to make the world better
You really know to how to commemorate a tragedy with class, Marvin.
By dying in an act of Kiddush Hashem, this man has secured his part in haOlam haBa. May his memory – and the memory of others killed in this tragically very preventable crime – be for a blessing among all of us, forever. Amen, Selah.
Yes, it was Kiddush HaShem. Thanks for making that connection. I hadn’t thought of it in that context, but of course you’re right. The highest form of Jewish self-sacrifice.
This reminds me of the Midrash we read on Yom Kippur about Rabbi Ben Baba who was ordaining his rabbinical students secretly because such an act was done on pain of death. When the Romans came upon themk, Ben Baba stood up and faced them down. They killed him, piercing his body multiple times with their spears. Thus he allowed his students to escape and carry on his teachings. I hope some of these saved students will do the same for the memory and legacy of Professor Librescu.
I was touched by the story of Professor Librescu. He was born in the same year as my late father, whose life was so different in many ways, but who also was unreservedly committed to his students. What heroism and self-sacrifice Prof. Librescu showed. The irony of surviving the Holocaust, surviving Ceaucescu, to make a new life for himself in his old age, only to die this way… too much.
May he rest in peace. I am very sad for his family.
Steve,
Please contact me about a memorial to Professor Librescu. I am a student at Harvard University and think that the money could be raised. My email is mschor at fas.harvard dot edu