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Rabbi Akiva Sutofsky was living a fulfilling life — a beloved school therapist, a devoted father, and especially close to his youngest son, Yitzy.

One day, Yitzy complained of a sore throat. When he looked in the mirror with a flashlight, he noticed a large lump. The doctor diagnosed it as an infection and prescribed antibiotics — but they didn’t help. Nor did the next round.

And so, the Sutofsky family’s routine life was turned upside down as they began the harrowing journey of cancer with their beloved son and brother, Yitzy.

Yitzy was an intuitive, kind-hearted boy who easily connected with others. The entire community rallied around him, davening with love and urgency. He celebrated his bar mitzvah in a shul in Philadelphia, not far from the hospital where he was receiving treatment. And then, he began to speak with startling spiritual clarity:

“Don’t be sad,” he would say. “My mission in this world is coming to an end. But if you ever feel down, do mitzvos and daven for my neshama. Maybe that will help ease your pain.”

Yitzy was niftar surrounded by his family. The entire community mourned with them, deeply impacted by his brief but powerful life.

In this episode, Rabbi Sutofsky shares the story of Yitzy’s illness and petirah, as well as the pain, faith, and growth that emerged from his grief.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsK24OSmIYG_XWzeplhfmb8LJcWKphITh&si=untn3fmHLLaEEFNm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relief-from-grief-by-mayrim/id1788349916

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3AvWNp0DrHqE5AVYJHooiK?si=ufpIObuGRumS5uFXmvrpgA