VALLEY FATHER OF EIGHT SLAIN IN SHOOTING.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Friends and family of Yaakov Aminov - a bystander killed by the gunman at LAX - gathered at his home Thursday evening to mourn a family man who was well-loved in the area's large Jewish community.

Originally from Israel, Aminov, 46, was part of a tight-knit Sephardic Jewish community in the San Fernando Valley where he lived with his wife and their five children. His wife is pregnant with their sixth child and he has three others from a previous marriage.

Rabbi Amram Gabay of the Adat Yeshuron congregation said Aminov was very involved in the community and often opened his doors to visiting congregants.

``Any time you had a guest in the community, the guest would stay with him,'' Gabay said.

In fact, it was one of those guests who took Aminov to Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday. Friends said Aminov was dropping off Israel-bound friends when he was killed by a gunman who opened fire at the El Al ticket counter.

``This is the kind of person Yaakov was,'' Gabay said. ``He is an angel.''

Family members said Aminov's wife, Anat, was devastated by the news.

``The mother's in shock,'' said Rabbi Aron Tendler of Shaarey Zedek, the largest orthodox congregation in the San Fernando Valley, who is a friend of the family. ``She has her two sisters and a brother, and lots and lots of friends.''

``It's very hard,'' said the victim's brother-in-law, Moshe Bachar.

Tendler said news of the shooting reverberated quickly through the Sephardic Jewish community. By late afternoon, the tree-lined street where Aminov lived for 14 years was jammed with friends and family who had heard and stopped by to pay tribute.

``I didn't hear it on the news,'' Tendler said. ``I got about 16 different calls.''

Neighbors Philip and Cheryl Weinberg, who have lived across the street from the Asimovs for 3 1/2 years said the victim's wife was very well-known in the area because she made religious hats.

Aminov, who worked in the jewelry business, was shot while standing near the ticket counter. He was rushed to Martin Luther King-Drew Medical Center about noon and pronounced dead a short time later.

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Moshe Bachar, left, and Rabbi Amram Gabay of the Adat Yeshuron congregation in North Hollywood recall Yaakov Aminov, who police say was killed by a gunman Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport. Gabay said Aminov was very involved in the community and often opened his doors to visiting congregants. ``Any time you had a guest in the community, the guest would stay with him,'' Gabay said.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer