Ben Adiya and Mordechai. He was born on 31.1.1976 in Kibbutz Ein Gev, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. At birth, his parents say, his face radiated beauty and light; His forehead was constricted and a look of seriousness came over his face. He had received his name before he was born, for his parents had hoped he would be a whole man, honest and decent. Indeed, that was the end. He spent his childhood in Ein Gev, where he attended elementary school Kedmat Kinneret. A sporty, sociable, and rather competitive boy who aspired to be the first in everything. On the walks a step in the head and so on swimming. He liked to play basketball but most of all stood out in light athletics and was good at running long runs. At the Kedmat Kinneret school on Kibbutz Ein Gev, a traditional field race took place at the foot of Mount Sussita, where children from various schools competed in the area. Tom first participated in the race when he was in fifth grade and since then has challenged himself: to win the race, or at least to get to the first places. Tam used to run in the fields of the kibbutz and the nearby hills, sometimes with his father and sometimes alone, and when he was in seventh grade he won the desired victory and received a gold medal. Since then, he has been practicing at the Jordan Valley Sports Association and has participated in many competitions. In ninth grade, Tam studied at the “Beit Yerah” regional high school. In 1991 his parents decided to leave the kibbutz and move to Haifa. Tam complained about the decision but accepted it, and studied in the 10th grade at the “Ironi Alef High School” in the city. At the end of this year the family moved to Kochav Yair. He spent the remaining two years of his studies at the “Ami Assaf” high school in Beit Berl, in the sociological track. He quickly integrated into the school, most of whose students were moshavniks, and was very happy at the time. His classmates say: “You came to us in 11th grade, in your kibbutznik look, and in a short time you became part of us, but you always remain unique. In 1993 the family moved again, and this time it settled in Hod Hasharon because of this change, Tam met Keren, who was his ray of light, and the two, who fell in love with each other, At the beginning of August 1994, Tom enlisted in the army and volunteered for the paratroopers, following his father, where he underwent a basic training course and was trained as a infantry fighter, joined the 202nd Battalion and later joined the auxiliary company. At the beginning of his career, it was decided that he would be a magist. He called the Mag called “Keren” after his girlfriend. Tam received a warm opinion from his commanders, who expected a bright future and a rise in the ranks. On the 24th of Cheshvan 5757 (24.10.1996) he went with his company to an ambush, near the Lebanese town of Ayasiya and in the area of the “Brosh” outpost in the eastern sector of the security zone. One of the soldiers stepped on a barbed wire, which caused a chain of explosive devices to detonate. Tam and the company commander, Major Uri Azulai, who led the force, were hit and killed immediately. Another four soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously. Tam was buried in the military section of the Kibbutz Ein Gev cemetery, at his request. He was twenty years old when he fell. Survived by his parents and three sisters – Noga, Shaked and Bat-Chen. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak wrote: “He served as a fighter in the Viper battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, and was described by his commanders as a dedicated soldier who fulfilled his duties in the best possible way. Invest and advance on the military track. ” The commander of the unit in which he served wrote to the family: “I remember the investigation for the last activity, I remember Tam’s explanation, his level of professionalism and calm, which places a great deal of confidence on the members and commanders … We remember how he volunteered to go to Lebanon, He asked why, after the killing of the terrorists a month ago, he told his friends that he had realized a dream – a dreamTam’s role has always been to be a full partner for every event in the unit. Tam was a special person, he invested all his energies in every role he played: as a lieutenant colonel in a track company, as a fighter in the auxiliary company, and in all that he could contribute – we would miss the style of speech, the sense of responsibility, “We will continue to remember how you dragged the machinegun from its very beginning in the army, how you educated and helped the new soldiers in the company, and how we taught all of us what motivation and commitment to the mission are.” A song written for him by his sister, Bat-Chen: “Then to the world / Restrained to the sea / And the ends of the sky / Connecting with the water / Blood of soldiers / On stone paths / And the kiss of the dead / The beautiful in the stars / but here my dear / blood spills. ” The tragedy that caused Tom’s death is extensively covered in the press. After his death, the “Kedmat Kinneret” school in Kibbutz Ein Gev decided to call the Susita race after him.
