7 siblings from Orthodox Jewish family killed in Brooklyn fire to be buried in Israel

NEW YORK -- The bodies of seven Orthodox Jewish siblings who died in a fire in their Brooklyn home have arrived in Israel and will be taken to Jerusalem for burial.

Services were held in Brooklyn Sunday for the siblings, ages 5 to 16, who died when the fire swept through their home in Midwood.

Seven SUVs carried 7 small wooden caskets - brothers and sisters who lived together, and late on Sunday afternoon who were memorialized together.

The children's father, Gabi Sassoon, spoke to the crowd of thousands outside the chapel, remembering each and every one of his kids who really had just started living their lives. The oldest who died was 16, the youngest was only 5.

"Rivkah, she had so much joy, gave joy to everybody. Yeshua was so joyful and creative and always tried to make everybody happy," said Gabi.

Many in the Orthodox Jewish community do not know the family, but their deep faith drew them to the memorial Sunday.

The siblings were upstairs when the fire, started by a hot plate, consumed the home. Their mother and 15-year-old sister escaped, and are both in critical condition after suffering burns and smoke inhalation.

Gabi was at a conference and was not home at the time of the fire, but on Sunday he watched and grieved as he said goodbye to nearly his entire family.

"They all have faces of angels - I want to ask my children for forgiveness. I did my best and my wife did her best. Please everybody, love your child," he says.

Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind said the children's remains were placed aboard an El Al flight to Tel Aviv after the services.

"I call this not a tragedy but an absolute disaster," said Hikind, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhood of Midwood where the fire broke out.

Police officers stood guard outside the charred shell of the Sassoon home that once reverberated with the sounds of a thriving, happy family. All of that was silenced in a short but intense fire that killed 7 brothers and sisters, who were trapped in their upstairs bedrooms by a wall of smoke and flames even the brave efforts of firefighters could not penetrate.

"This is the largest tragedy by fire this city has had in seven years," says FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

A woman who lived next door says she adored the children:

"Big, beautiful black eyes of the little children - and kindness, just total kindness," said Esther.

For those who worshipped at Temple with the Sassoon family, the loss, they say, is immeasurable.

"It's a real tragedy for all of us over here, the whole neighborhood is feeling it," said Vito Buchris.

The early morning fire ignited when a hot plate malfunctioned. It was being used in place of the stove because the ultra Orthodox Jewish family was observing the Sabbath.

The house had no working smoke detectors on the first or second floors.

Firefighters found only one smoke detector. It was in the basement, and may have never sounded since the fire spread rapidly to the second floor where the family was sleeping. By the time the mother awoke she was unable to get to her children.

"The mother would have had to go into the fire to get to the back bedrooms, so I think she valiantly tried, although badly burned, to get out and get help for her children," said Commissioner Nigro.

She lost all but one child. Four brothers David, Yeshua, Moshe and Yaakob were killed along with three sisters - Elaine, Rivkah, and Sara.

"It's being get right now as a loss to every family , every New Yorker is feeling this pain right now," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

By Saturday afternoon, the fire department had set up a table on the corner of the block and distributed pamphlets reminding residents they should have smoke detectors.

The fire commissioner called an emergency meeting with Jewish leaders for Monday.

Many other neighbors who spoke to reporters declined to give their names, but expressed sorrow over the loss.

The last residential blaze with a similar death toll happened in 2007, when eight children and an adult were killed in a fire in a 100-year-old building in the Bronx where several African immigrant families lived. Fire officials said an overheated space heater cord sparked that blaze.