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Thousands Pack Brooklyn Streets To Say Goodbye To Leiby Kletzky

Father, 3 Rabbis Speak Of 8-Year-Old's Beautiful Soul; To Be Buried In N.J.

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A mourner reaches out to touch the casket carrying Leiby Kletzky, 8, as the casket arrives for his funeral service. (credit: AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

A mourner reaches out to touch the casket carrying Leiby Kletzky, 8, as the casket arrives for his funeral service. (credit: AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Al Jones

Reporting Al Jones

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — As the hearse carrying Leiby Kletzky’s body made its way to a final goodbye, a sea of humanity parted in silence.  It was a final, respectful bow to a boy who trusted a stranger and died because of it.

“It’s a shock, a shock. Nobody can believe it,” said one mourner at Wednesday night’s funeral.

Thousands of people turned out to mourn the boy’s death and pay their respects. Even blocks away, the crowds spilled into the streets.

PHOTO GALLERY: 8-Year-Old Boy Murdered, Dismembered

The boy’s sisters and mother entered the temple school first, then came Leiby. His casket was lifted above the crowd, which was stunned by how he died.

“No one understands how this happened, why this happened and why it was such a brutal murder,” Hadassa Sochet told CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey.

Three rabbis spoke at the funeral service.  The boy’s father also spoke briefly, thanking God for such a “beautiful child” with a “beautiful soul,” 1010 WINS’ Al Jones reported.

The boy’s burial will be in Laurel Park, N.J.

The people of Borough Park gathered in groups earlier Wednesday to share what they’ve heard and how they felt about the terrible tragedy that has struck their community.

“It’s an unbelievable, unbelievable feeling that … I feel I lost one of my kids. That’s the closeness that everyone feels to this family,” one woman told CBS 2′s Tony Aiello.

Kletzky is the only son in a family of five children and he would have turned 9 this month.

The boy’s father — Nachman Kletzky — owns a passenger van and works as a driver for various community agencies. Kletzky’s family is neither prominent nor prosperous.

“Great people. I mean, there’s nothing more to say. No flowery stuff about them, they’re not into the trimmings and all the hidden agendas that come along with pleasures of life and all this stuff. They’re a simple, humble, good family that just wanted to be an asset to this world in the best way they can,” said family friend Shmuel Eckstein.

In their time of need, hundreds of fellow Hasidim rushed to help Kletzky’s family in the search. Many looked at Leiby’s picture and thought that he could be their child.

“I can speak for myself as a father. Thinking over the final grisly moments of this death, there’s no words,” Borough Park resident Joshua Berman said.

An intense two-day search for the missing Borough Park boy ended with the arrest of 35-year-old Levi Aron, after the boy’s dismembered body was found in two different locations by police.  Aron was charged with murder Tuesday evening.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Aron panicked after seeing flyers of Kletzky around the neighborhood and killed the boy.

When investigators arrived at the home, they found the door slightly ajar and asked where the boy was; Aron nodded to the kitchen. There, they found blood on the refrigerator handle.

Detectives found the other half of Kletzky’s remains wrapped in a black plastic garbage bag inside a red suitcase in a dumpster in Sunset Park, about two miles from Aron’s home.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

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  • ABrokenHeart

    For people so evil as this murderer there is no pain in this world that fits the crime; THAT’S WHAT HELL WAS CREATED FOR! MAY IT SERVE HIM WELL! AMEN!

  • chaya rochel

    never let such a young child walk home alone. always walk in pairs or take the school bus.

    • Carol Sullivan

      An 11 or 13-year old can’t combat such evil! The parents did nothing wrong. Keep your judgment to yourself in such a tragic time.

      • sad day

        If he did not walk home alone carol sullivan we would not be commenting here .It is not parents fault but was just bad judgement on there part thinking he was mature enough.Sad but true there is no safe area in new york or anyplace else.

      • honor leibby

        Apparentyl the parents did a test run on friday after the boy begged them to let him walk home alone- I think its part of growing up. you cannot lock your kids in forever! the mother was supposed to meet him only a few blocks away from his school. I think the parents were responsible and tried to do the right thing.

      • safe children

        It is quite obvious that 9 is way to young to walk home alone.The outcome of this proves it.Parent take time out of your day and walk kids home.

      • Chaya Rochel S.

        I believe that it would be wrong to stifle a child. If you and your child feel that they are ready, let them out. I actually got lost similarly to Leiby when i was 9, but thankfully, someone i knew found me before my mother called the police.

        (no, i’m not the original poster, only have the same name.)

  • “Yahaira” Maximus

    My prayers go out to the Kletzky family. My heart goes out to the entire Hassidic Community too. Justice will be served. I hope the psychopath receives the max punishment. I can’t imagine this actually happened.
    I deeply admire the sense of unity and support within the Hasidic Jewish community. I have not seen such level of systematic and synchronized support in any community. Hence it’s understandable that everyone within this community have shared trust amongst each other. I just feel that this is a curse as well as a blessing. It’s great to be in a unified community but at the same time you let your guards down. Please do not take this the wrong way. I feel that the Hasidic Jewish community should be less restricted, more open to people from other ethnicities because we are all human, despite the diversity in faith. When you are brought up to socialize and trust people only in the same faith you become prejudiced towards a lot of good people from other ethnicities. In this case it was commited by a psychopath who has the appearance of a religious person but is really a devil on the inside.

  • Sergio

    My heart is hurting , but I am praying that the family find peace and also their friends and the community , that they help this family find strength to carry on , God be with you !

  • BeenThereDoneThat

    So sad. It goes to show that evil can take on many forms. May this boy rest in peace and i hope that his family can make it through. i would not like to wish this on my worst enemy! i hope this monster never sees freedom again

  • BeenThereDoneThat

    So sad. It goes to show that evil can take on many forms. May this boy rest in peace and i hope that his family can make it through. i would not like to wish this on my worst enemy

  • SUSANNA BERARDINI

    MAY IT PASS FAST AND GOD LOVES YOU LEIBY KLETZKY FOREVER AND EVER ……LOVE AND COURAGE TO ALL YOUR FAMILY.GO IN PEACE

  • ngonzalez

    What a horrible way to die at such a young age..
    for every parent out there teach your children not to trust just anybody …and let your children know that there are still a lot of good people left in this world..

  • Colorblind2evil

    Tyrone, God bless you for telling the truth. I was upset about the comments made how there are only Latinos, Italians, and Jews in that neighborhood, and therefore nothing bad could happen there. Well, those of us who are intelligent know that evil is not a color or a race. It is a deranged person like the one who selfishly took that innocent child’s life.

    My prayers go out to the family of this little boy.

  • Aguinaldo

    Jesus acolheu este menino que já muito sofria neste mundo. Este mundo é mau e mal. As pessoas cada vez mais estão se tornando sanguinárias e muitas ficam felizes com as tristezas e desgraças das outras pessoas. O ser humano que é bom e caridoso incomoda muita gente e as criaças que deveria estar cada vez mais protegidas, estão ficando desprotegindas porque os adultos estão preocupados consigo mesmo e esquecendo de proteger as nossas crianças.
    Deus abençoe a alma desta criança, Jesus acolheu este menino que trazia consigo os seus sonhos e alegrias que foi interrompido por um ato de egoísmo e soberba e de pura crueldade.

    Que a Luz do amor e da ternura esteja sempre com o menino Leiby Kletzky.
    Deus abençoe a todos,

    Aguinaldo Darque Skanadian von Aragón
    Aguinaldo de Araújo

    Santa Catarina, Brazil

  • Aguinaldo

    Deus guarde este menino e esta alma que se trenscederá em Luz. Leiby estará sempre em minha preces e orações. Não deveria ter acontecido. Há algo errado. Deus nos proteja sempre. Deus lhes abençoes Leiby, Jesus te ama e eu também.

  • father knows best

    people your child’s life is at steak when u pretend the world is safe this is not that mans first time check him like u check us blacks no race card when it come’s to kids im color blide im always a father first and if u meaning the powers that be stopped and frisked in that part of bklyn maybe youll catch more of theys real low lifes ill pray for my brother Leiby Kletzy. at any age our kids are in danger keep your eyes” ears” and harts open 2 the rest of u good mothers and fathers and child out ther may u live as long as u want and never want as long as u live peace and love

  • Kat

    I hope the family is able to survive this tragedy. Their faith is strong so I believe they will be ok after a long time. I just pray for them to have strength. I really really hope that the parents know they did everything right. They shadowed the boy to make sure he knew the way home and this time the mom was meeting the boy halfway. They were very smart about that. They psycho is said to have murdered the boy after panicking when he saw all of the missing boy flyers. I hope nobody thinks the massive search was a mistake. Again, they did everything right and what a lovely community to have that many volunteers helping. I hope they aren’t regretting the efforts. I doubt it would have ended differently had the psycho not seen the search effort and panicked. How do you tell your kids, yes I believe you are a big smart boy, but it’s the rest of the world who I don’t trust, and the horrible things that run through YOUR head to a little kid who deserves to stay naive for just a little longer?

    • Nora

      My heart is hurting bad for this tragedy, but your comment gave some peace and I think you are totally right, everybody did the right thing.

  • Davud Machsner

    I am reading this sad story on CBS news and all of a sudden a
    man comes on talking for a Dodge commercial ,that really stinks
    and defeats the purpose of coming here. We do not need this sort
    of Advertisement unwished for,go back to just print.

  • Donna

    What is this world coming to ? How can an individual be so depraved to commit such a horrific crime ? Parents should watch Their children every moment! Too many sick people around. He asked for help and this is what he got. How horrific. I pray for Leiby to be with the good Lord and for his family to be be given strength to get by.
    RIP Leiby

  • Leslie

    My heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of little Leiby. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

  • Ana

    There is not justice in this world. But this monster will receive Divine Justice, I hope sooner than later.

  • jessa

    Poor little guy just wanting to show some independence. A horrible random crime. I always tell my kids that if there is ever an occasion they need help from a stranger to try to find a woman with kids to help. Luckily that occasion has never arisen.

    • Kat

      That’s good advice!

  • KG

    My sincerest heartfelt condolences to the family and community who loved this child. May his memory be eternal.

  • Liz

    I cannot express how sad my heart feels tonight about the tragic departure of this little precious angel. Rest in peace little one. Liz

  • kate Jack

    It have sadden to me to learn the death of Leiby who wanted to be a big boy to walk home alone when this animal took him away from us.. May Aron burn in hell.

  • D.Negri

    My thoughts and Prayers are with the family of this child. My thoughts are with the family in this time of sorrow.

  • Betsy

    May somehow this family find a way to cope with this horrific act of insanity. I vote for a 24/48 hour maximum death penalty on dirt bags like these polluting our society. No trial, no jail, no tax money being spend, straight to hell!!

  • thor’s hammer

    there is no defense for what this lowlife did, nor is there an excuse. spare the good people of new york having to pick up the cost of him continuing to breathe oxygen on the planet, with advantages young lieby will never know. that would be justice. the only question becomes which method should be used to execute the criminal. may each day be more miserable than the one before. may you hear the screams of a grieving mother get louder and louder by the hour. you were “afraid.” be afraid now, be very afraid!

  • Ellen

    What a horrible death that was bestowed on this dear little angle who now is in Heaven being loved by his God and all the saints and angles. I pray for his family that God will give them all peace in knowing their little one is now in a far greater life.

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