Halevitz, Yigal

Yigal, son of Esther and Meir, was born on September 14, 1949 in Tel Aviv and attended the “Jonah Hanavy” school in Jaffa. Afterward he completed his studies at the Ironi Ziv High School in Jaffa. In the school, Yigal was one of the outstanding students, both because of his personality and because of his scholastic achievements. his teacher said: “I remember the first lesson, a class mostly of girls, and in the first line stands a kids head, blond, with blue eyes, that’s how I met Yigal during the awakening of youth, when the boy became a man. He showed respect for others, obedience, honesty, a spirit of devotion and a desire to help his friends. ” He was also an outstanding athlete and participated many times in crossing the Sea of Galilee. Yigal was drafted into the IDF in early August 1967 and immediately joined an elite combat unit of the Paratroopers Brigade and took part in reprisals to destroy terrorists’ vessels in Jordan and after his commando unit disbanded and moved to the Armored Corps. Along with his men, along the embankment in the most bombarded area, and defined his role in the army as a father and a mother, as a friend and policeman of his soldiers, and devoted his best psychological and social skills to the department he commanded. At the end of his compulsory service, Yigal was defined as an outstanding officer, After graduating from regular service, Yigal married his girlfriend, Varda, In the first year he studied social sciences and economics, and in the second year he went on to study sociology in a single-track program. And in the vicinity of his home, families from various postcards lived, and he managed to harness them for joint missions, and when the Yom Kippur War broke out, Yigal did not rest until he found his unit. During the first days of the battle, he relentlessly encouraged the spirit of his soldiers and led them through the difficult campaign. On the 9th of Tishrei 5734 (9.10.1973), in the midst of the battle in the central section of the Canal, Yigal was killed by shrapnel from a shell. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Left behind a wife and son, born after his death and named after him – Yigal-Chai. After his fall, he was promoted to captain.