Forat, Yochai

Ben Lillian and Jacob. Born on 28.7.1975 in Haifa to Asaf and Inbal, he studied at the Neurim Elementary School in Kiryat Bialik, where he moved to Kfar Saba, and Yochai attended the Galili High School and graduated with a full matriculation in biology. Yochai, a member of the “Joha” group, was a parachutist until the age of 14. At the beginning of his high school studies, he volunteered for Magen David Adom, which was then his second home, and he took a first aid course and a instructors course. Yochai volunteered to participate in three births that took place in the ambulance, and at that time he published two articles on the issue of MDA. In the middle school, Yochai was awarded a special prize in recognition of his help to others and his constant volunteerism with MDA. He served as a medic in Kedumim for a year, and then volunteered to serve in the Liaison Unit for Lebanon. In time he was in charge of the clinic in Marjayoun in Lebanon. After his discharge from the army, Yochai worked in various jobs, including work at the Jewish Agency. He was responsible for a project of two months of volunteering in MDA for MDA volunteers, who gave them a first aid course and accompanied them throughout their stay in Israel. Yochai’s main work was in MDA – he completed a senior paramedics course and an ambulance driver course, and at the beginning of 2002 he had an ambulance in hand so that he could quickly appear at the various terrorist attacks that took place in Israel. And at the time of his death he was on the verge of completing his studies and obtaining a BA At the end of February 2002, Yochai went to reserve duty in Samaria, during which he fell in operational activity on the 19th of Adar 5762 (March 3, 2002) In the morning, a terrorist opened fire at the checkpoint, killing ten people, among them Yochai Captain Ariel Hovav, Lt. Col. Raphael Levy, Sergeant Eran Gad, Lt. Col. Kfir Weiss, Lt. Col. Avraham Ezra, and civilians Sergey Turov, Vadim Balagula and Yitzhak Didi. After his death he was promoted to the rank of Major General. He was laid to rest in the Kfar Saba military cemetery. Survived by his parents, brother and sister. The personal inscription on the tombstone of Yochai was engraved: “It is easy to take, hard to give, and you only knew how to give.”