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Balleti, Rafi (Rafael)

Balleti, Rafi (Rafael)


Ben Etty and Machluf. He was born on the 14th of Cheshvan 5737 (14.11.1976) in Migdal Ha’Emek. Rafi was the eldest son of his parents, and after that the family had two other sons – Nir and Liam and Bat – Rina. Rafi was a naughty boy who did not sit still for a moment, but alongside his mischief he had a “big head” and completed his studies at the Shalom Aleichem elementary school. He continued to study at the Rogozin ORT high school, in the electricity track, and there he was the leader of a playful and cheerful group like him. Raphi was a tall, thin boy. The smile never left his lips and his rolling laughter could be heard far and wide. Esti Cohen, who was the coordinator of his class, remembers him as having led a noisy group of boys: “Almost every day we opened a new page for them.” And Rafi once said that the pages were already over, and in fact the “book” of this group has more pages than the Bible, and despite all this, Rafi succeeded in his studies, and with all his pranks he had a good soul. Rafi grew up and was educated on the love of man and the love of the homeland, and he traveled extensively around the country with his family, and every spare moment was used to spend time outdoors, As a member of the career army, serving in the Golani Brigade for twenty-three years, it was clear to him that he would also serve in a combat force. Rafi volunteered to serve in an engineering company of the Nahal Brigade and was appointed to the position of the unit’s Magist, and he described him as a courageous fighter, as if he was running forward and charging with the magic in his hands. An example to all his friends. If necessary he took command of a team and led him forward. He wanted to be an officer, but fate wanted otherwise. On the evening of 28 February 1997, the helicopter disaster occurred when two Yasur helicopters collided over Moshav Shear Yashuv. The seventy-three fighters, who made their way to operational activity in Lebanon, were killed. Among them was Rafi. He was twenty years old when he fell. He was laid to rest in the military section of the cemetery in Migdal Haemek. Survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister. After his death Rafi was promoted to the rank of First Sergeant. Rafi’s family donated a Torah library and a Torah scroll in his memory to the Nachlat HaBanim synagogue in Migdal Ha’Emek. On the anniversary of his death, the “Salute to Rafi” was held in Migdal HaEmek, where dozens of students from the Rogozin High School and members of the Nahal and Golani divisions participated in the dedication ceremony. “As nature does, time softens the intensity of the pain … but as time passes, the feeling of longing grows stronger.” Hagit, who was his girlfriend for about ten years, expressed her pain: “His name is engraved in my heart, / This disadvantage fills me with pain. / He went the way he did not return, / boy, boy, man – whom life loved very much. / How could you have had all the joy of life? /! I cry and feel helpless. / You were the secret of my strength and comfort of my soul, / If only you could come back to me, my love! “

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