Pictured: Bar mitzvah boy killed in tragic Belgian crash while twin brother survived

A “kind and caring” 12-year-old pupil at Menorah Grammar School in Edgware has been tragically killed in a car crash on a Belgian motorway two weeks before he was due to celebrate his bar mitzvah with his twin brother, who survived.

Daniel Rubin’s parents and three siblings all sustained injuries, one of them seriously, in the crash but their lives are not in danger.

The fatal incident occurred on the E40 in Veurne, West Flanders, at around 1am last Thursday when family were returning from a simchah in Antwerp. 

The car turned over and came to rest on its roof, according to pictures of the accident published by Belgian media. The boy was thrown from the vehicle and sadly lost his life a the scene, the reports said. 

Daniel Rubin, right, was remembered as "a unique boy, both in character traits and in his practice of Judaism. He was kind and caring, not only to his parents, siblings and friends, but to anyone who interacted with him"[Missing Credit]

Initial findings by investigators found that poor weather conditions were the cause of the crash. The West Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office appointed a traffic expert to investigate the exact circumstances.

Rabbi Weisenfeld, a teacher at Menorah Grammar who is also a member of the Chai Lifeline Crisis Intervention team, and Shaya Hamer, a mental health counsellor, helped the boy’s classmates process the news.

The pupils were told the news in a morning assembly, then given the option to call home.

Hamer told the JC that the boys reacted “in different ways”. They had their questions answered, were given space to process their feelings and were provided with guidance on available support now and in the future, he said.

Menorah Grammar, he added, was doing “an amazing job in terms of caring for the pupils” and was “really trying to be there” for them.

In the email informing parents of pupils of the death of “a very dear talmid [student]” in an accident, the Menahel (principal), Yoel Rabinowitz, said: “While it has been difficult for everyone, it is extremely difficult for his classmates in Year 8 to process.”

He added that Year 8 boys had been taken to the park to “help them recover from the initial shock and to regain their equilibrium.”

A 12-year-old boy from Menorah Grammar School has tragically been killed in a road accident in Belgium (Stock Photo: Getty)AFP via Getty Images

Speaking on behalf of the family, Rabbi Meir Rapoport of the Imrei Shefer Congregation told the JC: “This has been a tragic loss for the whole community, but especially for the family. Daniel was a unique boy, both in character traits and in his practice of Judaism. He was kind and caring, not only to his parents, siblings and friends, but to anyone who interacted with him.
“His father Itzik pointed out one example of his kindness. Every morning he would come down in advance of Shacharit (morning prayers) and a coffee and biscuits would be ready waiting for him, prepared by Daniel.
“He was very particular to attend and fully participate in the shul services. In fact, every morning, he was the first to unlock the shul. All his teachers pointed out that he was a model student in school. He was always eager to learn Torah and Gemarah (Talmud) and was always kind and considerate to all pupils.
“The family have shown remarkable fortitude in publicly acknowledging and accepting God's decree, in spite of their terrible sorrow and pain. We, as a community will be there to support the family in any way possible."