Son of Rina and Eliyahu, Itai was born on September 27, 1981 in Be’er Sheva, a young brother to Hagai and Leifat. His name was given to him in the name of a biblical hero, in order to strengthen him, and indeed Itai grew up and developed wonderfully: he studied at the Achva elementary school in Beer-Sheva, where his brother, sister and mother, Bo was chosen to study biology, mathematics, and history as an augmented student, and he was awarded a number of diplomas, and he loved to help his friends in their studies. At the same time as his studies, Itai was a trainee and an activist in the Scout movement and in Gadna. Itai grew up and became a beloved boy surrounded by friends, to whom he was patient and attentive. He appreciated the fair treatment he had received from his teachers and his surroundings, and he did not like lies and dishonesty. His great loves were music, which always played in his surroundings, and he even composed melodies using the computer, and comics – Itai was a talented comic artist who enjoyed painting and used a lot of humor in his paintings. He painted all his life, from his childhood, during his studies in schools and during the army, and in his home there are many comic books of all periods. In his spare time, he liked to watch movies, and over time he was also proficient in this field. He also played basketball and soccer in the framework of the school and with friends, and loved to go out for fun and trips in Israel. In March 2001 he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces in the Armored Corps, where he was active in various areas, including Operation Defensive Shield in Bethlehem and the siege of the Church of the Nativity. In February 2003, most of Itai’s company was sent to the Golan Heights, and only two tanks and their crews, including one of them, were sent to operational activity in the Dugit area near Gaza, on the 15th of Adar 5763 (February 15, 2003). 2003) fell with me in an operational activity near Dugit, when the tank mounted a heavy side bomb and all the ammunition exploded. Tank crew were killed instantly. With me fell: Staff Sergeant Alexei Balicki, Staff Sergeant Doron Cohen and Noam symbol honest. Twenty-one was with me fell. Posthumously promoted to sergeant. Itai was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Be’er Sheva. Survived by his parents, brother and sister. The text of the personal inscription on his tombstone reads: “A special person and a warrior, rest in peace, your life in our hearts illuminates your silence.” “Your enormous potential will never flourish, your talent will not be realized and will develop, but your personality will always be with us, the family, the friends, the grandmothers, the aunts, the uncles, the cousins and everyone who knew you.” His father eulogized him: “With me, your life was short, only 21 years, a short life, but the loss and longing are very great … In the last two years you have been on leave from the army once every two weeks or more for a weekend, “I left a huge hole in our world from a lack of a good vitamin, which requires a new balance in nature,” said Eli Boker, who was Atai’s center in high school. “Itai’s friends wrote a group of good friends who accompanied him His life: “With me, we still do not believe that you are no longer with us, and we hoped to spend the rest of our lives with you and did not plan to part with you after spending so little time with you . By your friends, you are young as the day we met you, and will remain forever. We remember you when we first met: a quiet, shy, nice and interesting special way. And today, afterWe’ve had a lot of experiences together, you have not changed much, and if you’re already good … it’s not fair. We grew up together, got to know you well and learned to love you as a good friend. We always remember you with a smile, always happy. You were the sage in our little closed group, and you never refused a friend who needed your help. We will always remember your laughs, the drawings and the comics, the narghile nights, our special handshake, the tension we made for people together, Pizza Pie, the regular hamburger on Saturday, the Azimuth Foundation, Pink Floyd, Classics, War of the Worlds, the nights in Blackmore, . And as friends, we will not forget the family: the father who took care of the studies. The mother who always said: ‘With me, take a coat, you’ll be cold.’ The nurse whose door in Tel Aviv was always open when I went to spend time around. The caring brother with whom he talked so much about him that we felt we knew him well. In fact, with me, in time you became more of a good friend, and you are like a brother to us. And with me, we promise you to stay as cohesive as you would like, and we will never forget you … “In April 2003 an evening of Itai’s memory was held with the participation of the family, friends and teachers. Since his military service, the family intends to publish a memorial book to commemorate Itai and will continue to commemorate his name in any way.
