Comments about Yonah posted to various online blogs

I never knew Yonah, nor his family, nor his friends. I had never heard of him, nor, I am sure, he of me. Yet through the magic of the internet and links I have been led to this page where, in final peace, Yonah has inspired me and undoubtedly, countless others. I am inspired of the courage and strength of conviction he had in making aliyah and working in the land of Israel. I am moved that he was recalled to heaven in the performance of a true good deed. May the widow and the child be strong and courageous in carrying on. They should be proud to be forever a part of what was obviously a special life.

Baruch Dayan Emet. To an unbelievable young man who has accomplished so much even in such a short time. Yonah has brought countless hours of laughter and happiness to all those who knew him. From trudging around in that big ol' truck in high school, to watching him mature into a true ben Torah, Yonah, it was an honor to have been close to you. You have made all who have known you incredibly proud. I'm not sure if I ever got to thank you for introducing me to Shosh. I have been so lucky to have you guys in my life. We're thinking of you, Yonah. Thank you for being you.

Yonah, I just read about the mitzvah you did for that woman, and frankly my friend, I am not surprised in the least bit! That was totally typical of you; helping others without any concern for yourself. You were one of the most generous, selfless people I ever had the pleasure of knowing. Everyone in your family was that way, so its not surprise there. Sorry I am not too good writing letters, but I just wanted to let you know that you and your family have made a deep impact on me and my family. I remember when my family first met yours in Baltimore. I remember all of the simchas we shared; Rivka's, Shoshana's wedding, Chaya bat mitzvah, Shlomo's bar mitzvah, all the parties, the 4th of July barbecues our families shared! Everytime we saw you, you always had a thousand dollar, mega-watt smile on your face that brightened any room you walked into. That smile. Geez. Yonah, I will never forget you as long as I live, and moreover, you will always be with me and my family, and your family, and your friends, and relatives, and all the lives you have touched. Whenever I feel sad or down, I will just think of you and your beautiful, loving smile and try and be as happy as you were because thats what you would have wanted. You would want only happiness for those you love. You would want us all to be happy, because Yonah, your soul was so beautiful and I just know that your neshama is at peace. When your son grows, he will hear from everyone how amazing his father was and he will be the proudest son.

My heart is so saddened by the passing of my dear sweet nephew, Yonah Joshua. I will deeply miss Yonah's enthusiastic approach to life...as a 3 year old pushing a bubble mower until he dropped from exhaustion, or as a 16 year old playing basketball. I will miss his beautiful smile, sense of humor and his teasing me about the Chicago Bears in favor of his favorite Kansas City Chiefs. Over the years I have observed Yonah's special relationship to each of his siblings and share the sorrow we all feel at his passing. My condolences to all the members of my family!