Ben Daniella and Boaz. Born on Tuesday, 5.3.1976 in Kibbutz Shoval, Yonatan’s oldest brother, Amit and Orit, a boy whose heart is full of love, beauty, wisdom and innocence Tom began his studies at the elementary school at Kibbutz Shoval. He moved to the Jewish-Arab community of Neve Shalom with his family, where he studied at the small school in the town where he was absorbed, as well as in his home, by the love of nature and the values of peace, brotherhood and love of man. The nearby kibbutz, Nachshon, went to study at the “Tzafit” educational institution on Kibbutz Kfar Menachem where he completed his biological studies, Tom was a very good student, loved by his friends and teachers. Rhett and major player in the basketball games of his team and sometimes was swept up in political discussions. One of his close friends said of him: “He is aware of another reality and articulate connection I can not change, but when he reveals his feelings and secrets of his heart was done in confusion embarrassed (as well as cute and human). He has a quiet presence, sometimes tempered by a sudden passion, expressed by a quick bundle of words, which only the privileged can convert to clear words and sentences. “Tom had been close to his family. “When Tom gets angry, he becomes the rage, in a few moments, into an embarrassed, conciliatory smile, almost apologetic. He was gifted with exceptional writing skills and utterances. It has simplicity, sensitivity and depth. To his friends is a person who listens, forgives, loves, understands, shares and is faithful. As a youth, Tom participated in a peace conference in India and a delegation of Jewish-Arab youth to Spain, and during his high school studies he went with his classmates to Poland, Tom met with his best friends, including Tomer Keidar, who were joined together and served together in the same unit, flew in the same helicopter and were killed together under the same oak, The first soldier of Neve Shalom, was recruited to the Nahal Brigade at the end of July 1994 and completed the course with honors. For the first time in his life, he encountered a different reality and difficult identity problems. He found it hard to bridge the gap between his personality, his values and his heart’s tendencies, and his friends’ positions and the demands of a commander and a soldier. But despite the alienation and the difficulties, he managed to advance, posing personal challenges, including military standards. Tom volunteered without any expense for every assignment, and he took it upon himself to organize the shifts among the guys, who trusted his decency and kindness. He was chosen for early command and went on to a sergeant course. His friends from the course say that they had an independent position, but even after an argument with those who opposed him, the feeling of closeness and cohesion in the team was strengthened by his social and humanistic approach. After the course Tom returned to command his friends. His subordinates spoke of the wisdom with which he fulfilled his role, his eternal smile and their love for him. His commanders testified that Tom belonged to a special breed of people, many of whom could not be found, and sent him, against his will, to an officer’s course. Tom left the course, so as not to extend his service, and was added to the engineering company of the Nahal Brigade, where he found friends he loved, and returned to Lebanon as a fighter for the third and final time. , And assigned him roles accordingly, but the identity problems returned to him, and Tom did not know who he was fighting for whom, and especially for what.At the same time, he felt a great commitment to his friends. He had done his duty, and with great devotion, but this rupture gave him no rest. 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, including Tom. He was laid to rest at the Neveh Shalom cemetery. He was almost twenty-one years old when he fell. Survived by parents, two brothers and a sister. His girlfriend, Ayelet, eulogized him on his grave: “Thank you for the wonder I have won for such a short time.” In his letter of condolences to the bereaved family, Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak wrote: “Tom served as a combat soldier in the engineering division of the Nahal Brigade and was described by his commanders as an exemplary, professional and dedicated soldier with a high personal level, And was popular among his commanders and friends alike. ” The commander of the unit wrote to the family: “Tom served as a liaison and did his job with remarkable determination and dedication, and in his quiet and polite manner created a good atmosphere among his teammates and showed willingness to help and assist at all times. One of Tom’s teachers, Abd al-Salam Najjar, a Palestinian from Neve Shalom, eulogized Tom at the funeral and said, “I do not know if there is another Jewish soldier who was killed and after his coffin so many Palestinians went.” The press extensively covered the disaster, and the articles that were published were also written about Tom and his good friends who perished with him: “They were friends in heart and soul, they fought together and lived together. Tom’s parents wrote: “Tom’s friends keep us in touch for months after the disaster. On the 30th anniversary of his death, his parents published a booklet, “Our Tom”, containing farewell letters, lines of his image and pictures from different periods of his life. “I remember you in so many situations, in conversations, in entertainment, in school, in boarding school, on weekends and on army vacations, and only happy memories come to mind.” A person with sensitivity, modesty, wisdom, humor and joie de vivre, The hearts of the adults, the hearts of the teachers (and especially the teachers), the heart of the friends and the heart of all the girls … “In another letter:” We are so miserable, Tom, step by step, a sea of meaningless elections, Conscious, to that damned helicopter, our ability to influence the fate of our lives, so small, it seems, that we can only stand cramped, small, miserable and especially powerless against fate, which He makes us like his own. ” “The black raven has read / And the heart is torn … I suddenly realize how much I loved you …”
