Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky, son of Dr. Bracha and Shlomo, was born on June 29, 1971, in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the Akiva Hebrew Day School until making aliyah with his family in 1982. He studied at the Yeshiva at Kerem BeYavenh and later at Heichal HaTorah. During his service in the IDF, he was in the Casualty identification unit of the IDF Rabbinate. He later worked as a kashrut supervisor and in computers.
On the morning of November 18, 2014, two Palestinians armed with guns, knives and axes entered the Kehillat Bnei Torah Synagogue in Har Nof, Jerusalem during the early minyan. They attacked the worshippers indiscriminately, killing 4 and wounding 7. The attackers were killed by police, but only after a Druze policeman was killed by the terrorist in the shoot-out.
Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky was remembered as big man with long red beard, a big smile, and a big heart. He was a person who do anything for anyone at any time. He is survived by his wife Yakova, 5 children aged 5-16, his parents, and 5 siblings. He was buried in Givat Shaul next to his daughter Chaya Shana who died tragically two years ago in her sleep at the age of 13.
