Georgette and David’s eldest son. Born in Bat Yam on March 1, 1966, to Eliahu, Ofer, Vered and Natali Born and raised in Kiryat Ata: He studied at the “Ha’atzmaut” Elementary School and the Rogozin Comprehensive School, graduating with honors. The most outstanding of his outstanding talents was the music of the Beatles, Yehuda played the guitar, the piano and the organ, and as part of the matriculation certificate, he submitted research work at the level The “Beatles” band, led by Yoav Kutner, Yehuda loved nature and mountain views, and a lot of bicycle trips. On the 18 th of July 1984, Yehuda enlisted in the army as part of the reserve, and after a month of basic training at the “Nitzanim” base he returned to construction engineering studies. In 1986, he returned to the army, to the Logistics Corps, and was assigned to the Land of the Northern Command as a professional soldier in his area of expertise. During his compulsory service and after a long friendship, Yehuda married Pnina, his choice of heart. Their wedding celebration took place in the spring of 1987, and their home was built in Kiryat Ata. Two children were born to the couple, and the names chosen for them merged in both Yehuda’s private life and his military life: the eldest daughter Kinneret was born on October 27, 1987, and on 11 December 1995 his son Sa’ar was born. Judah was a devoted family man, loved his children without limit and served as an excellent husband and father despite the many hours he spent in the unit. His family says that even when he finished his work in the wee hours of the night, he would insist on going to his home to see Pnina and the children, but he was always the first to get to work at the Northern Command at the beginning of each working day. In 1988, Yehuda completed an officers’ course and was assigned to the building unit of the Northern Command as an officer in construction. Yehuda, who began his service in the construction area as a soldier, was able to realize a dream and command the unit he so loved, a dream that was cut short while he was still in it. In 1991, Yehuda was appointed officer of the Rosh Pina area. In 1993 he went to Bar-Ilan University and graduated, two years later, as a university graduate in economics. In 1995 he served as the Land Officer of the Northern Command and in June 1997 he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Construction Unit. In June 2000, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and received command of the Construction District. Yehuda was a smiling, modest, pleasant man. He was an outstanding commander and admired his subordinates, but most of all he earned the esteem of the units he served in – the Northern Command, the Judea and Samaria Area, the Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and his commanders and colleagues. He was the first to carry out every task assigned to his unit in an optimal and uncontested manner, showing high command ability, professionalism and responsibility, and his soldiers were constantly treated both at the individual and unit level. Streamlining, while being uncompromising in providing optimal service to the individual . As a member of the special nature knelt scored his attention surrounding him and bought him the admiration of his subordinates. Lt. Col. Yehuda Ben-Shabbat fell in the line of duty on Sunday Nissan Tss”d (23/03/2004), and thirty-eight. He was laid to rest in the Kiryat Ata cemetery. Survived by Raya, daughter and son, parents, two brothers and two sisters. The synagogue in his unitWas dedicated to his memory and named after him. In his memory, a Torah scroll was inserted into a synagogue. Yehuda’s soldiers in the unit parted from him in a poem they wrote in his memory: “Judah, at the terrible hour of the night, the word of your death is known, and so, in a moment, we have lost you.” / / As if you were taken away from us just like that, / As if a rope around our necks had been wound up / We were left behind, orphaned by you / Determined to keep your heart’s heritage / Continue your way, as you wanted / nurture and preserve everything you built / The momentum and move forward / so that you can be proud of us from the sky above / and where we will not follow our path / will always be engraved on the Table of our hearts. “
