Jewish Brothers Texted Love And Dread During Florida School Shooting
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Ron Kampeas February 18, 2018
(JTA) — Sam and Matthew Zeif are both students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Matthew’s a freshman; Sam’s a senior.
The Jewish brothers were in different rooms when Nikolas Cruz, a 17-year-old who had been expelled from the school, raided its grounds on Wednesday, firing an automatic weapon.
Scariest part of it all was knowing my little brother was right above me and not knowing if I would ever see him again. I’ve never really treated him the way he deserved. Not anymore. Seeing his face outside of school was the most relief I had ever felt. My prayers to all. pic.twitter.com/Iq8CHVNXd0
— Uncle Sam Zeif (@SzZeif) February 15, 2018
They texted one another from places of hiding.
“Are you ok?” Sam asked.
“Hopefully,” Matthew answered. “Just know I love you.”
They survived, and Sam posted their exchange on Twitter and made clear the experienced had changed him forever.
What Matthew witnessed also likely will never leave him.
“My teacher died,” he texted his big brother, “and he’s sitting in the doorway.”
His teacher was Scott Beigel, who died a hero as he slammed shut the classrom door to protect students from Cruz. Beigel was also a staff member at Camp Starlight, a predominately Jewish summer camp in Starlight, Pennsylvania.
The Zeif brothers’ mother, Jennifer, told the New York Times that Beigel saved Matthew’s life. Matthew was the last student Beigel ushered into the class before being shot.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
