Uriel Z"l

On January 16, 1988, Uriel was born to Aaron and Joni , the 3rd of 4 children, the only boy. He was born and raised in Efrat, part of Gush Etzion, a suburb south of Yerushalayim. After choosing the track combining yeshiva studies with army duty, Uriel studied for two years at Yeshivat Har Etzion, the “Gush”. He was drafted into the tank corps. The army chose Uriel to continue as a tank commander. Upon becoming an officer, Uriel was assigned to the 53rd regiment, company 2. He spent a month in the Golan Heights involved in intense training, simulating war conditions.

On August 5, 2009, in the early morning hours, Uriel’s tank had to cross over a deep ditch on a mobile bridge. Uriel felt the tank was not crossing straight. He commanded his crew to brace themselves. This was his last command, enabling his soldiers to take precaution. He, however, was thrown from the tank and killed instantly. He was able to save his soldiers but not himself.

Yonah, a member of his tank crew stated, “He had a mischievous smile, a smile that conceals more than it says. A smile worth a thousand words. Uriel had a heart of gold with a perpetual smile on his face. He was the only one who never complained.”

From the eulogy of Ido Levy, company commander:

Uriel:

A man who always displayed a sense of goodness, warmth and empathy

A man and a commander who loved his soldiers, who cared for their welfare more than for his own, and who was always available for any request

A man, a commander and a friend who always helped those surrounding him without regard to how well he knew the person

A man, a commander and a friend who was appreciated, respected and loved by all those around him

In the Gush Etzion Visitors’ Center in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, there is a moving audio visual presentation about the history of the Jewish people in this area dating back to biblical times.

The purpose of the presentation is to preserve the history and memory of the settlements of the Etzion Bloc and the heroic defenders who fought and died here. The Center is committed to imbuing future generations with love for the people and for the land of Israel. The passage of time necessitates the need to modernize this museum, built over two decades ago. Using innovative, cutting edge tools we intend to transform the Center into a compelling experience for visitors. We must restore the site to its rightful place of honor at the forefront of Israel’s history.

The family thought that one of the best ways of continuing Uriel’s love for the land of Israel and for Gush Etzion in particular would be to join forces with the Kfar Etzion museum in bringing about this renovation. Over 100,000 guests come to the Visitors’ Center each year tourists, school children and soldiers – to learn about this fascinating area and to take pride in the heroes who fought here.

Uriel always walked around with pages of the daf yomi in his pocket. He would pull them out whenever he had a few minutes to review them, despite the constraints of his heavy army schedule.

“Uriel was a true tzaddik, completely unaware of his own greatness. He never attributed any of his accomplishments to his own prowess... Uriel’s unique leadership abilities derived from his innate silence, from his strong inner beliefs and convictions, and from the compelling feeling of fulfilling his life’s mission.” Rav Fisher, Neve Shmuel High School, Efrat

“Uriel, Am Yisroel suffered an enormous loss today: such goodness in one person, so much justice, integrity, love, modesty and true joy all lost in one hard moment. It won’t be hard to remember you at all. The greatest challenge will be to learn from you how to do things right, how to meet the standards you’ve set for us. This is our task now: to learn from the best, to learn from you.” Yigal Goldenberg

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) and Gush Etzion have announced a new partnership to raise money for the renovation and expansion of the Gush Etzion Heritage and Visitor Center at Kibbutz Kfar Etzion. JNF has launched a special campaign in support of the revitalization of the museum, joining a group of partners that includes the Israeli government, the Ministry of Tourism, the Gush Etzion Foundation, the Gush Etzion Regional Council, the Gush Etzion Tourism Authority, and the Bnei Etzion Foundation.

JNF has deep roots and strong ties in Gush Etzion. As early as 1928, JNF purchased land in the area and today owns 80% of the land. Kibbutz Kfar Etzion was reestablished in 1943 with the financial assistance of JNF. Today, JNF is an invaluable partner in our effort to preserve the ancient and modern history of the region.

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