Benyamini, Erez

Erez, son of Zahava and Yaakov, was born on 14 May 1951 in Nahalal, where he studied at the elementary school in Nahalal and later graduated from the agricultural high school in the moshav. He was a member of the Hanoar Haoved movement of the Bnei Hamoshavim division, he worked as a youth counselor in Nahalal, and later in other places, he loved touring and traveled extensively throughout the country as part of the youth movement activities in the Moshavim movement. Erez was drafted into the IDF in mid-July 1969 and assigned to the Armored Corps. In the framework of the corps, he completed a course in subjects, azxz tank commander course, and a course for officers of the Armored Corps, and after completing his officer training course, he was assigned as a guide in the Armored Corps. And his ability to develop the agriculture, while recognizing the importance of his role as a guide, which trains a new generation of soldiers in the IDF. After long deliberation he ruled: the agriculture would have to wait. He decided to do one year in the career army, and served as a company commander in the rank of lieutenant. “Everyone wanted to be like Erez,” said one of his apprentices, who emphasized Erez’s warm and humane attitude toward the commanding officer. He said that once, on a cold, rainy winter day, his trousers suddenly broke. Erez noticed this and immediately gave him his own warm clothes. Another trainee, who later became a guide himself, attests to the fact that Erez is his role model. As a commander, As a man, he knew how to find the golden path between rigor and rigidity and mischief and loosening of the belt. At the end of a year of permanent service, Erez decided to extend his service for another year. He was as attached to his subordinates as they were to him. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, his company was sent from the Armored Corps to the southern front. On the 7th of Tishrei 5740 (7.10.1973), in one of the battles in front of the island of Balah south of Qantara, his tank was hit by a missile and Erez was killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Nahalal. Survived by father, mother, brother and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to captain. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the unit commander wrote that he appreciated Erez for his honesty, honesty, professionalism and ability to work. He ended his letter with the following words: “Remember that he will be with us as he was in his life: an excellent professional, a good and dear friend, and a warrior who performs his duties to the end.”