Two strictly Orthodox British men, who were in “critical” condition after a car crash in Hungary, were brought out of their induced comas this morning.
The yeshiva students, Yehuda Roittenbarg and Binyamin Cohen, from Stamford Hill, north London, have been in hospital in the city of Miskolc since the crash last Wednesday.
A source close to their families said: “They are both up and the situation has started to improve. There is still some way to go but at least they are responding positively”.
The men, aged 19 and 20, were understood to have travelled to Hungary to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir.
Every year, thousands of Charedim from across the globe visit the tomb to mark the anniversary of the Chasidic leader’s death.
The two men, who were in a black Ford, were almost at their destination when the accident occurred. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Last week, footage from the incident was circulating on social media forums in Stamford’s Hill community.
Prayers were being organised at their Stamford Hill synagogue, Ahavas Torah.
People have been asked to pray for their full recovery using their Hebrew names: Yehuda Ze’ev ben Irit and Benyamin Meir Yosef ben Shoshana Shirin.