Shalom (Shlomi), son of Sarah and Joseph, was born on October 14, 1954 in Ashkelon. He attended the Yitzhak son of-Zvi elementary school in the Shimshon neighborhood of Ashkelon and continued high school in the Kfar Silver educational institution. He studied in a humane agricultural track in the summer of 1972. He was a good-spirited child, with blue eyes and mischief, and was already full of curiosity about everything around him. When he gave him an excellent diploma at the end of the eighth grade of the elementary school, he was determined to continue his studies at the educational institution in Kfar Silver. The animals and the countryside, and he loved the work in the cowshed and chicken coop, waiting impatiently for nature lessons They were interested in the ways of life of different animals, and volunteered happily to work in the orchards, and Shalom’s teachers appreciated his willingness to learn and broaden his horizons, and his friends appreciated his warm and loving attitude towards them. Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed, was active in the movement as a trainee and later as a high school teacher, and was very devoted to the Gadna activities and served as a squad commander. Shalom was a sports fan. Even when he was in elementary school, he liked gym classes. He excelled in athletic activity, performed brilliantly in various gymnastics, and became active in soccer. When he grew up, he played soccer at Maccabi Ashkelon, became the head of the club’s football team and was one of the players of Israel’s youth team. But it was not only the sport that attracted him. He excelled in a great deal of knowledge in literature, and read many fine books, science and history books. Shalom helped his parents with advice and action, and during the summer vacations he worked in various places in order to ease the burden of the family’s livelihood. Shalom, who was the second son in the family, treated his brothers and sisters with great love. He wanted to educate them, to help them in their early years in life, and to teach them good ways and customs. On the eve of his enlistment in the IDF, he was a strong and handsome boy, a wise and sober young man who was a source of pride for his parents, who was drafted into the IDF in mid-February 1973 and volunteered for the paratroopers. After basic training, he was assigned to an infantry unit and completed a paratroop training course, at the end of which he was authorized to wear the wings of a parachutist. He was an excellent and dedicated soldier. His friends in the unit, who gave him the nickname “jango,” tell him of his character with great affection. He was amazed by his knowledge of agriculture and science. His language was unique and very personal. He spiced his Hebrew with expressions of English and Iraqi. “After all the arduous training, when all the guys were tired and exhausted, everyone was joking with jokes and stories about his civilian life, and his life was full of interest and adventure, and everyone who listened to his stories seemed to think that things happened to him Himself … “The image of Shalom was an example to his comrades in the unit. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Shalom was sent to the southern front and fought there as a combat rifle. According to the testimonies of his comrades in the fighting, he evacuated casualties with great devotion. He did not flinch from enemy fire, neither did his mortars. With exemplary serenity, he did what he was told. He made sure to send letters to his parents, who wanted to reassure them, and took care of the safety of his brothers and sisters who remained in the rear. “I feel great and I hope to come home soon,” he wrote in his last letter, ending with a warm wish to his favorite dog, Ginny. On the 21st of Tishrei(17.10.1973) Shalom fell from the Egyptians’ fire during the battles for the “Chinese farm.” He was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, leaving behind a father, a mother, two brothers and four sisters, In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan wrote: “Shalom served in the infantry and was an excellent soldier and a devoted friend. In memory of his memory and his memory, Shalom’s parents donated a Torah scroll to the “Ezra the Scribe” synagogue in Ashkelon; The Cohen family and the administration of the Yitzhak son of-Zvi elementary school, where he studied, commemorated his memory by reading a study room in his name and by placing a monument in his name in the courtyard of this school. May his memory be blessed, and his soul will be bound with the bonds of life.
