Son of Sarah and Abraham, was born on July 24, 1960 in Ashkelon, the fifth of the eight children of the family. Nehemiah began his studies at the Assaf Elementary School and completed his studies at the Shafir State Religious High School. Was an outstanding student, who combined his Torah and work with his studies. His hobby was basketball. Moshe, his four-year-old educator at the Shafir boarding school, noted Nehemiah’s qualities: “I can not remember even one time of anger toward you during the four years I raised you, only Tom was on your face, and every additional word will diminish your magnificence. Your innocence and honesty towards each person were your character symbol. ” “Nehemiah was a very important element in the class, both socially and academically, in the overall fabric of our social life in the boarding school, by virtue of his personality and scholastic ability,” said a classmate of the same years, one of a group of 16 trainees who maintained close ties for 23 years after graduation. Two main things I remember from Nehemiah z “l during their joint stay in those years: one – his excellence in studies … the second thing is not related to studies at all but to his character and personality. “In November 1978, Nehemiah enlisted in the IDF and was stationed in the Israel Defense Forces. In November 1978, Nehemiah enlisted in the IDF, The air. After completing a professional course at the technical school in Haifa, he served about five years in the ‘Eit squadron at the Hatzerim base. He was assigned to the army’s army service and was sent to study and was certified as an electronics engineer, and was transferred to another base at the Hanit laboratory, where he quickly became a leader in his field and contributed greatly to the advancement of the subject. He was sent to the United States to assist in carrying out an important project for the IAF, and in addition to his extensive work on military matters, Nehemiah also took care to help maintain religious activity in his unit and was assessed by everyone as being chosen to be in charge of the synagogue. Nehemiah married Yocheved and the couple had two sons In the course of his life, Nehemiah educated his children and his soldiers to the values of love of the homeland, love of others and excellence, and made sure to implement these principles consistently and decisively. On July 5, 2001, while returning with his family from a trip to Jerusalem and praying at the Western Wall, Sgt. Nehemia Gershi was killed in a road accident and brought to eternal rest in the military cemetery in Ashkelon. His daughter Efrat and his son Ariel-Haim, who was seriously wounded and died of his wounds two weeks later, were also killed. He was forty-one years old when Nehemiah fell. He left behind a wife, son, daughter, mother, six brothers and a sister: Shlomo, Ezra, Menachem, Amnon, Yoav, Yala and Shimon. The unit commander wrote to the family: “Nehemiah arrived at the unit in 1988, after he excelled in serving at the Hatzerim base … Upon arriving at the unit, he immediately joined in the activity and established his position as a knowledge center responsible for a system of great operational importance to the IAF. The Israeli Air Force, at all times of the day and night, and at the same time being an excellent technician, Nehemiah was a great man, ready to listen and advise, regardless of rank and rank, who was quick to help and help, sometimes secretly and not to receive gratitude …”One of his commanders, Major Shalom, wrote:” Nehemiah was a prominent and special soldier. “One of his commanders, Major Shalom, wrote:” Nehemiah was a special soldier. A professional in his field and investor, quiet, introverted and even a bit shy, his soldiers knew how to lead to great achievements without ignoring educational principles: Derech Eretz and the importance of the homeland. , Wrote among other things: “… You were my rabbi in every question of religion. At every crossroads I was in, you always knew how to give the right direction … You were my good instinct every time I got angry / angry, sometimes even about the Creator … You knew how to reach me, calm me and guide me the way. ” The memory of his children and friends at the IAF was remembered as a tradition of study days at an academic level in the spirit of the time in various circles and at the Air Force base in Palmachim.In memory of Nehemiah, a Torah library was put into the Tzvia yeshiva in Ashkelon. Eyal built on the eve of Memorial Day: “… They have already passed nine moons / yes … I have no pleasure in looking I have learned to look at the tablet of my heart. / My father remained with me – songs, verses and phrases / that became milestones for my orphans / my mother and my dear sister / We stayed only three out of six / The image of my father, my sister and my brother / I guard, as an inexhaustible spring. / In their actions and qualities they / they are giving me the strength of the soul. “
