Funeral held for West Hartford native killed in Israel

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A funeral for the West Hartford native killed in a terror attack in Israel was held Wednesday.

Elan Ganeles, 26, was in Israel to attend a wedding when he was killed on Monday. He was driving through the West Bank area in Jerusalem when he was gunned down by two terrorists who drove up to his car and opened fire, according to officials.

Ganeles was taken to the Hadassah Medical Center in critical condition but was later pronounced dead.

David Waren, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the Ganeles family and affirm our solidarity with the people of Israel at this time of escalating violence. May Elan’s memory be a blessing for his family and our entire community.”

Ganeles grew up in West Hartford and was a beloved community member. He was the eldest of three boys, and his parents are both doctors.

He graduated from the Hebrew High School of New England in West Hartford and enjoyed volunteering in his community.

Ganeles also graduated from Colombia University last May and was a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Rabbi Joseph Gopin of the Chabad House of Greater Hartford said Ganeles attended their Jewish summer camp.

“Elan is a wonderful boy, very well-behaved, reserved. We could see when we talked to him he was very thoughtful and very personable,” Gopin said.

Michael Black says his sons grew up with Ganeles in West Hartford. Black says he was Ganeles’ former basketball coach.

“He just had a personality. He wasn’t just a player; he was a teammate. He was just a humble, sweet, special young man. He had a full life in front of him,” Black said.

Ganeles’s funeral was held in the central Israeli city of Raanana. His family will return to sit Shiva in West Hartford on Thursday.

People line the street outside of the funeral of Elan Ganeles, 27, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from West Hartford, Connecticut, in Raanana, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The Israeli army said a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on Tuesday at an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting Ganeles. A friend told local media he had been visiting Israel for a wedding and driving on a highway near the Dead Sea when he was shot. Hebrew reads: I Cry for these – my eyes, my eyes, the water came down.” (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
People line the street outside of the funeral of Elan Ganeles, 27, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from West Hartford, Connecticut, in Raanana, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The Israeli army said a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on Tuesday at an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting Ganeles. A friend told local media he had been visiting Israel for a wedding and driving on a highway near the Dead Sea when he was shot. Hebrew reads: “The eternal people do not fear the long road.” (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Mourners comfort each other at the funeral of Elan Ganeles, 27, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from West Hartford, Connecticut, in Raanana, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The Israeli army said a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on Tuesday at an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting killing Ganeles. A friend told local media he had been visiting Israel for a wedding and driving on a highway near the Dead Sea when he was shot. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Mourners comfort each other at the funeral of Elan Ganeles, 27, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from West Hartford, Connecticut, in Raanana, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The Israeli army said a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on Tuesday at an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting killing Ganeles. A friend told local media he had been visiting Israel for a wedding and driving on a highway near the Dead Sea when he was shot. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)