Ben Nicole and me. Born on 25.3.1977 in Jerusalem, Asaf grew up and lived all his life in Kfar Hanoar Hatzioni, a pastoral place in Jerusalem, which maintains a special lifestyle, and as a child Assaf was very serious, wit and charisma. From the “Luria” elementary school in Jerusalem, and was engraved on the memory of all the teachers in the school, he continued to Denmark High School, where he studied biology and successfully completed his studies, Assaf’s self-confidence enabled him to realize plans that were incompatible with his biological age. He spent most of the day away from home, devoted himself to his work, without causing any special concern He worked in swimming and volleyball teams, played soccer and loved to run, and among his many hobbies were diving and aerobics, and a large part of his time was used for swimming and volleyball. As a tour guide, and on his many trips he developed an additional hobby, abseiling, in addition to a first aid course, among other things, as a guide for a shlach, a certified lifeguard and a swimming instructor. Assaf achieved almost all the goals he set for himself. His childhood dream of becoming a pilot was almost fulfilled when he was nominated for air crew. He passed and completed the formation of a pilot course, but eventually dropped off course. Despite his disappointment, he decided to volunteer for a combat unit. At the end of July 1995, Assaf enlisted in the IDF, where he completed a basic training course and was trained as a combat soldier. Within a short time he gained the trust of the commanders and soldiers and served as the team’s symbol. Assaf planned to go to the officers’ course and move up the ladder. He belonged to the “Dotan Squad” of eleven fighters. Soon the team members, including their commander, became a cohesive group. Their special relationship spread to their private lives, and they often spent time together during vacations. The close ties between the members were cut off, sitting side by side in a helicopter that led them to Lebanon. 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 Assaf. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He was twenty years old when he fell. Survived by his parents, brother Shlomi and sister Vered. After his death, Assaf was promoted to the rank of First Sergeant. In his letter of condolences to the bereaved family, Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak wrote: “Assaf served as a combat soldier in the Nahal Orev Company of the Nahal Brigade and was described by his commanders as a responsible and dedicated soldier who demonstrated initiative, caring and leadership. The commander of the unit where he served, wrote to the family: “Assaf wanted to know and understand more … Assaf wanted to be a commander in the army and invested a great deal in order to become such a person. Responsibility, responsibility that he wanted so much to take in. Assaf stood out for the qualities of a natural leader, invested a lot in bringing the team to high achievements and striving for excellence. ” After the disaster, extensive articles were published in the press, in which the character of Assaf was also described. Assaf’s parents and the parents of his teammates decided to continue on their way. The courageous friendship and mutual help that has been created among the children has led to the creation of a group of ten families, who have been meeting every other month since the disaster, each time with another family, and working to perpetuate the team in any way possible. in the memory ofAssaf built a gym, a book was published in his memory and a disc with songs written in his memory.
