At Rabbi Leider’s request, Rabbi Yossi Kranz, the Chabad shliach in Virginia, agreed to donate his time to work together on behalf of the deceased. Rabbi Kranz served as a shomer (guardian) for the deceased, in accordance with the Jewish law that the deceased must not be left unattended until burial. Meanwhile, arrangements were made with Mr. Eli Rowe of Queens Hatzolah for a private jet to fly the body to New York City.

Due to inclement weather, however, the plane was unable to take off. Instead, Rabbi Leider made the trip himself by van. With assistance from numerous public officials, including the governor and various Virginia congressmen, Rabbi Leider receives a police escort for the entire journey. When Professor Librescu’s body arrived in Brooklyn, New York, a ritual purification was performed by the Chesed Shel Emes organization and funeral arrangements were made.

Rabbi Leider secured from El Al a ticket for Mrs. Librescu to accompany her husband back to Israel, where he was buried.

Yet amid the terror and confusion, bravery and courage emerged. One hero is Professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor, who used his body to barricade his classroom door before being gunned down. His selflessness saved the lives of his students, who are able to open windows and escape. Shortly after news of the Virginia Tech massacre broke, Professor Librescu’s family was notified of his death. To help expedite the release of the deceased, the family contacted the ZAKA Organization in Israel, which referred them to Rabbi Isaac Leider in Monsey, NY. Rabbi Leider immediately contacted the state medical examiner’s office in Roanoke, Virginia and explained the Jewish law prohibiting an invasive autopsy. The medical examiner assured Rabbi Leider that, even though authorities were engaged in the largest investigation of a shooting on U.S. soil, there would be no autopsy just a minimally invasive procedure to remove the bullets.