Updated and corrected
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — Dr. Benjamin Harouni, a recent dental school graduate who was murdered Thursday at the dental offices of his father, Dr. Jack Harouni, in El Cajon, was described by members of the Jewish community who knew him as “sweet,” “extremely spiritual,” and “wise beyond his years.”
Many friends of the family are expected at the funeral service, which tentatively has been scheduled for 10 a.m., Sunday, at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Cayon Road, San Diego.
Although described as “Orthodox” in various news reports, the Harounis, who were Persian Jews, could perhaps be better described as “traditional Sephardic,” following customs that spanned the Conservative and Orthodox branches of Judaism.
In Sacramento, where the family lived for many years before settling in San Diego, they supported three congregations –one Conservative, another modern Orthodox, and the third Chabad. Benjamin attended the community’s Shalom School, which served Jewish children of various denominations from kindergarten through 5th grade.
Rabbi Ben Herman of the Mosaic Law Congregation said that people at his Conservative shul remembered that Harouni worked with disabled and autistic children for his bar mitzvah project. “He was extremely spiritual, wise beyond his years, and did more for his bar mitzvah project than anyone else. He was a very precocious kid.”
Herman’s predecessor, Rabbi Reuven Taff, officiated at that bar mitzvah. On Friday, Taff said he was in a “state of shock over this tragedy; it is beyond belief.” He described Harouni as a “sweet, kind young man, very bright, very spiritual, a huge loss for the family and for the community.”
Rabbi Mendy Cohen of Chabad of Sacramento remembered how proud Harouni’s parents, Jack and Hilda, were of Benjamin upon his recent graduation from dental school. “They are really God-fearing people; they love God, they give to the community, and it (the murder) is devastating. One of my kids, Moshe, was his classmate.”
“He was very fun-loving, very kind, a real neat kid, funny and a great, great person,” the Rebbetzin, Dinie Cohen, commented. “He was such a kind, refined, sweet, good-natured boy, a beautiful boy.”
At USC, she said, Harouni became affiliated as an undergraduate with Chabad of USC led by Rabbi Dov and Runya Wagner, and after moving to San Diego, he joined Chabad of Downtown San Diego, led by Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Nehama Carlebach. His dentistry degree was earned at the University of the Pacific branch in San Francisco.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via sdheritage@cox.net
I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Dr. Benjamin Harouni, whom I grew to respect after I met him as my dentist. He was most kind and considerate as well as a very caring dentist and person. What I read here in this article about him matches with the very person that I met in
him. He will greatly be missed. My heart felt sympathy goes out to his family and those who loved him. May God be with them and strengthen them at this time especially.
Benjamin Harouni attended dental school at University of the Pacific in San Francisco, not USC where he attended for his undergrad.
He was a kind and bright dental student and the kind of student the clinical staff loved having around.
The UOP family is devastated by the loss of one of our alumni.