Family, friends and supporters of fallen Israeli soldier and Woodland Hills native Max Steinberg gathered on June 28 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel to commemorate a Torah in his honor.
Families of Lone Soldiers (FOLS), an organization committed to supporting the loved ones of people who leave their home countries to fight for the Israeli military, sponsored the event where guests had the opportunity to write a letter in the Torah, which will be sent to Israel and used by soldiers. A campaign on the crowdfunding site Jewcer raised more than $50,000 for the project from more than 250 donors.
Steinberg served as a sharpshooter in the Golani Brigade’s 13th battalion. His death during Operation Protective Edge last year when his unit was ambushed in Gaza touched lives across the world; 30,000 people attended his funeral.
The Steinberg family and the Torah, with help from FOLS, were scheduled to travel to Israel to commemorate Max’s yahrzeit on July 9 at Mount Herzl. On July 12, plans call for the Torah to be ceremoniously completed with the help of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Golani soldiers alongside whom Max fought.
FOLS co-founder Larry Platt hosted the recent local event and presented several community leaders who honored Steinberg’s memory and his service. He spoke on the strength of the late soldier’s parents, Stuart and Evie Steinberg.
“Their hearts, their emotions, their trials and tribulations, their dedication to family, their dedication to each other, and their commitment to Israel honors Max,” Platt said. “His life will go on in the memory of what he has done, what we have seen and what his parents have shared with us.”
The Steinbergs also addressed loved ones and supporters, many of whom were lone soldiers, like their son. Both spoke emotionally about the loss of their son and the importance of supporting lone soldiers.
“It is still hard for me to grasp that Max is no longer with us in body,” Evie Steinberg said through tears. “Max was and always will be my hero.”
The Steinberg family showed video from Max’s bar mitzvah ceremony, which took place at the Luxe in 2005 and which he shared with his brother, Jake. The video included footage of Max’s bar mitzvah speech, in which he talked about his Torah portion and the importance of the rite of passage. He also spoke about the legacy of generations and overcoming hardships.
“When the Israelites left Egypt, every obstacle that they faced was a sign of discouragement,” a teenage Max said. “They could only see the obstacles, not the opportunity to move forward, to live in freedom. Having faith in ourselves and in God is really important, but so is our attitude of how we handle what happens to us in life.”
The idea for a Torah-writing ceremony and dedication in Max’s honor was first proposed by Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky of Chabad of the Conejo. The Steinberg family approached FOLS to organize the project and the ceremony. Max’s father credited FOLS with showing the compassion and dedication necessary for helping the unique situations of families of lone soldiers.
“Our biggest disappointment was that we were not there to celebrate Max’s accomplishments as he went through training,” Stuart Steinberg said. “When [FOLS co-founders Platt and Eli Fitlovitz] came to our home, we shared that disappointment with them. They told us what FOLS was about, and we knew that FOLS was a cause we wanted to put our arms around.”
