Aloni, Uri

Ben Aviva and Avraham. He was born on December 2, 1975, in Jerusalem. Uri studied at the Gershon Agron Elementary School in Jerusalem and at the David Stone Elementary School. He continued his studies at the Beverly Minkoff Ort Junior High School and completed high school at ORT College in Givat Ram. Uri excelled in his studies, but was mischievous and tended to annoy the teachers. Until the birth of his younger sister, Shir, was the youngest child in the family. Uri read hundreds of books in Hebrew and English, especially liked science fiction books, and wrote poems and short stories, one of which was destined for a book that was not completed. Some of his poems were published in the school newsletter. Uri was also involved in writing “Dungeons and Dragons” games for a group of friends who played together for many years. When he graduated from high school, Shai received work for the community. When he was fourteen, his parents divorced. Uri was drafted into the IDF in mid-January 1994. He was sent to the north, the Golan Heights and Lebanon, and after seven months was transferred to the Jerusalem area, due to family problems and his mother’s illness, the IDF recognized him as a lone soldier. On August 24, 1994 Uri fell during his service and was put to rest in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl. He was eighteen years and nine months dead. Survived by his parents and three sisters – Roni, Sarit and Shir. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, Chief of Staff Ehud Barak wrote: “Uri, of blessed memory, was a maintenance noncom in an emergency storage unit, and was described by his commanders as a serious, disciplined and quiet soldier.” His commander wrote: “Uri was a quiet soldier, friendly, orderly and prominent in his seriousness.” At the initiative of his sister, Sarit, the family commemorated his name in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood: They donated 50 science fiction books to the Philippe Leon Community Center Library and established a corner dedicated to his favorite genre; Purchased learning equipment for students of the Gershon Agron Elementary School, where he studied in his early years; Donated his textbooks to ORT College where he studied and set up a corner in his memory at the biology lab, his favorite subject. Other books were donated to the university’s high school. The family also intends to publish a book that will include his poems and short stories, some of which were written in English. The family believes that Uri could have been a famous poet and writer if he had not fallen during his service.