This month marks the ominous 25th anniversary of the death of my dear friends Matt Eisenfeld and Sara Duker, of blessed memory, in a senseless act of terror on the Number 18 Bus in Jerusalem. 

To mark this occasion, I invite you to listen to two new episodes of “My Teacher Podcast” that I host and produce. In a special two-part series, I have a conversation with Mike Kelly, award-winning columnist for The Bergen Record and author the acclaimed book The Bus on Jaffa Road, his comprehensive account of the bus bombing of February 25, 1996, and its aftermath. In Part One of the series (Episode 11), I interview Mike on his reporting of this story. In Part Two (Episode 12), Mike interviews me about my friendship with Matt and Sara and the collection of their writings that I edited: Love Finer Than Wine: The Writings of Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker. 

I hope you find our conversation engaging, and I ask that you share with anyone who may benefit from listening. Please also consider subscribing to My Teacher Podcast as well as rating and reviewing it on iTunes to help people find the show. My Teacher Podcast is available on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher and iHeartRadio. 

One final note: Feb. 5 would have been Matt’s 50th birthday. When Matt died, he had just celebrated his 25th birthday. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Matt and Sara, we cross a dubious threshold in which Matt has been gone longer than he was alive. Sara crossed this threshold a couple years ago. Those of us who knew them are as committed as ever to preserving their memory. They were, after all, great teachers, and we still have much to learn from them. 

May their memory always be for a blessing, and may we continue to learn from their wisdom, dreams and ideals for many years to come.

Rabbi Edward C. Bernstein

Ed Bernstein may be reached at rabbiecb@gmail.com.

Main Photo: Matt Eisenfeld and Sara Ducker in Israel. Taken not long before they were killed in a Feb. 26, 1996 bus bombing in Jerusalem.