Chaim, Reuven

Reuven, Son of-Batya and Avraham, was born on April 28, 1949 in Tel Aviv. He studied at the Be’eri elementary school in Jaffa and later attended the ORT vocational high school and the Amal vocational high school. Reuven had an integrated sense of humor and a wealth of personal charm. He had made many friends because of his radiant personality and kindness. With leadership and organizational ability, he gathered a circle of friends around him and with him he spent social meetings, evenings and parties. He was the driving force behind a group of young people who operated a youth club in Jaffa, and naturally became the leader of the group and responsible for its activities. His friends loved to be with him because of his kindness and willingness to come to the aid of anyone. Even in his home among the family was Reuven active and entrepreneur. He assisted his father in his work and his mother in caring for the household. He saw himself as responsible for the education of his sisters and was involved in social activities. He had a clear, systematic mind. His approach to problems was profound and fundamental. Before he was drafted into the IDF, he was enrolled in a Dan institution and incorporated vocational studies in his work, Reuven was drafted into the IDF in mid-November 1967 and assigned to the Armored Corps. Shortly before his enlistment, he was seriously injured in a car accident, but despite his injuries, he demanded that they enlist him in a combat unit. After completing basic training he was trained as a tank driver and assigned to the Armored Corps School. Even during his military service, his leadership ability and organizational ability were evident. He was accepted by his colleagues in the unit and Ehud for his commanders because of his sense of humor and his ability to maintain calm and good atmosphere even during the difficult hours of training and operational activity. He was a disciplined soldier and devoted to his job. His commanders had entrusted him with many tasks, all of which he had fulfilled with precision and perfection. Thanks to his skills, he held many positions, usually aimed at senior officials of his rank, and performed in a very thorough manner commanding positions that demanded great responsibility, management ability and control over people. Reuven was the liaison between the company commander and the soldiers. His friends would come to ask him for advice and often consult him about problems that bothered them. Reuven would bring their words to the commanders and would try for them. Most of his requests fell on attentive ears, and the only soldiers whose problems were solved were to their satisfaction. In mid-November 1970 Reuven was released from regular service and assigned to a reserve unit of the Armored Corps. After the liberation, he joined the IAI staff as a metalworker. He was soon recognized as a very dedicated and talented worker. In recognition of his devoted work, he gave him a letter saying: “A letter of appreciation is given to Mr. Reuven Chaim for performing high-level assembly work quickly and with zero defects.” In 1970 he married his girlfriend Etti and with him established his home in Daughter of-Yam. Their home was open to guests and friends, who came to spend time with them and enjoyed warm hospitality. Reuven devoted much of his spare time to the soccer game. He was a member of the football team of Maccabi Holon and was one of its outstanding players. Even when he was a student at school, he would rush to the playground after school to practice and on Saturday he would participate in the soccer league games. Reuven founded with some of his friends the Zafririm sports association in Holon and established its soccer department. He took care of the budget needed to operate the group, purchased the costumes and was a partner in the establishment of the group’s playground, Simono and Guidorro. After the group was established, he served as the coach of the Association’s children and youth groups. He was involved in sports, participated in conversations and debates, and excelled in all areas of football. Whenever he could practice and play. His greatest ambition was to improve his achievements and to be reliable with groupsThe elite, but he did not achieve this ambition. After his fall in battle, it became clear that he was part of the team that developed and built the Israeli Kfir fighter plane. He submitted many proposals for streamlining the work and improving the assembly method at the plant. These proposals were highly appreciated and most of them were actually implemented. During the Yom Kippur War, ReuSon of participated in the battle against the Egyptians on the Sinai front. On the 8th of Tishrei 5734 (October 8, 1973), his battalion, under the command of Lt. Col. Assaf Yaguri, fought in the bitter battle at the Firdan Bridge, in which his tank was hit by an anti-tank missile and Reuven was killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left behind a wife, parents and three sisters. After his fall, he was promoted to sergeant