Eran, Gad
Son of Hassia and Yitzhak, he was born on May 29, 1951, in Hadera. He spent his childhood in Zahala, where he attended kindergarten and elementary school until the fourth grade. On the occasion of his father’s service in the regular army, the family moved to Be’er Sheva, where Gadi studied at the Achva and Netivot schools. He was one of the graduates of the first graduating class of the Beer-Sheva High School, the director at the time, Moshe Zilberman, said: “Gadi was a brilliant student, an outstanding student.” He was the chairman of the student council and was sent to a youth delegation to Norway and Denmark. At the same time, Gadi was a modest and pleasant man. In addition to his high school studies, he was an apprentice and a counselor in the Scout movement. He was also an avid nature lover and took walks and photographed landscapes. When he enlisted in the IDF, he volunteered to serve in the Paratroopers’ Paratroopers Brigade, but before completing his service, he moved to an armored patrol unit and served as a noncom, instructor and officer. His friend in arms, Moshe Rogel of Kibbutz Gvat, wrote of Gadi: “Everyone who came into contact with him was captivated by his special charm and his way of helping a friend without feeling anything and helping him make him weak.” After his discharge from the IDF, with the rank of lieutenant, he began to work at odd jobs to save money for a trip abroad. The trip was postponed, because the Yom Kippur War broke out and Gadi fought in it on the southern front. His service lasted six months, after which he went with a friend to South America. He returned to Israel at the beginning of his academic year at the Hebrew University and began studying geology. That year he married Yael and went on a long trip to India and Nepal. Upon his return to Israel he completed his bachelor’s degree cum laude and began studying for a master’s degree. For his livelihood he worked as a field instructor for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel in Neot Hakikar and the Open University. He lectured in tours to Peru and guided groups of mountaineers. During his travels around the country he especially liked caves and mountain climbing, and there was a large collection of photographs and slides in his house, some of which he developed himself. As part of his geology studies, Gadi began formulating original ideas for explaining the formation of the geological structure of the Negev. Professor Israel Jacques added: “In our meetings, I saw the emergence of new and surprising ways of thinking even on subjects in which there seemed to be no way forward.” In 1977 his daughter Yaara was born. The family joined the cooperative association Netaf, whose members were planning to take up land in the Ma’aleh Hahamisha area. Gadi was busy building his hut in Nataf and was busy in the final stages of his master’s degree when he was suddenly drafted into the Peace for Galilee war. He was among the first to enter Lebanon in the eastern sector. His vehicle mounted a mine on its way to an observation mission. Gad was burned badly, but he remained cool and ran to report the injury and call for help. Gadi fell in battle on the 19th of Tammuz 5742 (10.7.1982) and was brought to rest in the military cemetery in Be’er Sheva. He left a wife and daughter, parents and brother. In a letter to his family, his commander wrote among other things: “I was proud to be Gadi’s commander because of his honesty, modesty and leadership abilities.”
